Karnataka leaders who left the Congress, joined the BJP and became ministers, said they are loyal to the BJP and would not leave it even if they are removed from their ministerial posts now.
Giving clarifications, Cabinet minister Munirathna Naidu said, "My friends and I will never go back to the Congress party. If we go to the Congress party, Siddaramaiah will not be there," he said.
Speaking after attending a Republic Day ceremony in Kolar, Munirathna Naidu said, "Siddaramaiah said earlier that he would not allow rejoining of leaders who have left the party and ditched them. He said this in the state assembly itself. If we go back to congress, Siddaramaiah will have to leave Congress," said Naidu.
Minister Munirath said that such a situation would never come up and they do not need to go to Congress because BJP leaders treat them with respect. "As stated earlier, we will not leave the party for any reason," he added.
"If we join the Congress, then Siddaramaiah and Ramesh Kumar will be the first to leave the Congress," Munirathna said.
Ramesh Jarkiholi, who supported BJP in migrating MLAs from Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) to BJP, slammed Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar and said that he has the contacts of 16 Congress MLAs and he will bring all of them if the high command asks him to do so.
Reacting to Jarkiholi's statement Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar slammed him and said his mental state is not normal and he needs to be admitted to Nimhans Hospital that is why he is making such statements.
"There are many leaders and MLAs from BJP who are in contact with us to join Congress even former Union Minister of BJP Basangouda Patil Yatnal has made a statement related to it. So, we don't need to give much importance to the mental state of the person," said Shivakumar.
One year before the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections, political developments have already started in the state and MLAs are joining and leaving parties.
( With inputs from ANI )
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