Umesh Katti quits JD-S to join BJP
Bangalore, Aug 18 (UNI) The beleaguered Janata Dal (Secular) suffered another jolt when party legislator and former Minister Umesh Katti resigned from the Karnataka Assembly and announced his decision to join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Mr Katti, elected to the Legislative Assembly from Hukkeri seat in the elections held in May this year, submitted his resignation letter to the Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar today.
Mr Shettar announced that he had accepted the resignation of Mr Katti.
Mr Katti said he was disgusted with the family politics played by former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda and his sons.
Mr Katti is the sixth sitting legislator, including three from Congress, who quit their assembly seat and joined the BJP.
The state BJP has launched 'operation Kamala' to woo opposition into their fold with an eye to win more number of Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections. Some more legislators belonging to both JD(S) and the Congress were likely to desert their parties and join BJP.
Reacting
to
Mr
Katti's
resignation,
former
Chief
Minister
and
JD(S)
leader
H
D
Kumaraswamy
said
''Mr
Katti's
resignation
will
not
have
any
adverse
impact
on
the
party.
Doors
are
always
open
to
those
who
want
to
go
out
disagreeing
with
the
party's
principles
and
at
the
same
time
we
welcome
those
who
agree
with
the
party's
ideologies.''
Welcoming
to
the
party
fold,
BJP
State
President
D
V
Sadananda
Gowda
said
''we
are
not
forcing
any
legislators
to
join
the
BJP,
but
if
they
agree
to
adhere
to
the
party's
ideology
and
principles
they
are
welcome
to
join
the
party
as
our
doors
are
always
open.''
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