Bengaluru, March 15 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar on Friday said that many leaders and workers from the BJP and the JD-S are eager to join the ranks of the Congress.
Addressing reporters here, he said: "We have given instructions to party workers to facilitate the joinings at the local level as many BJP and JD-S party workers and leaders are keen to join the Congress."
Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, said: "There is a direct fight between the Congress and the JD-S in about 5-6 constituencies but there is no JD-S now. The party workers will obviously look at their political future in this scenario. The workers are worried for their future as more and more members of (party supremo H.D.) Deve Gowda family are joining politics," he said.
Asked about JD-S state chief and former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy's statement that he would teach a lesson to D.K. Suresh - Shivakumar's brother and sitting Bengaluru Rural MP, Shivakumar said: "Let him first speak about the state of affairs of his party, then he could talk about teaching others a lesson."
On whether the CAA would be implemented in Karnataka, he said a decision would be taken only after a detailed discussion with the Chief Minister and other party leaders.
Asked if inputs from party leaders were taken before finalising the candidates' list, he said: "Our responsibility is to collect opinions and feedback from the grassroots level and send it to the party leadership and we have done that."
On the postponement of the Congress Election Committee meeting to Monday, he said that party President Mallikarjun Kharge was in Bengaluru for a medical appointment.\
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