Channapatna By-election 2024: 5-Time MLA C. P. Yogeshwar Ready to Contest On Congress Ticket

In a significant turn of events, BJP leader and former Minister C.P. Yogeshwar announced his departure from the party on Wednesday to join Congress. He is now anticipated to be the Congress candidate for the upcoming Assembly bypolls in Channapatna on November 13.

On October 23, Yogeshwar met with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar at his residence in Sadashivanagar, Bengaluru. Following their meeting, both leaders traveled together to see Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The former BJP MLC was anticipated to officially join Congress later that day at the party office in Bengaluru.

On October 22, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with KPCC chief D. K. Shivakumar's brother and former MP D.K. Suresh, indicated that the Congress would be open to welcoming any leader who adheres to the party's principles.

Yogeshwar resigned from the BJP as an MLC on October 21 after learning that he would not receive a party ticket. He has been elected to the Assembly five times since 1999, representing the Channapatna constituency as an independent and with the Congress, BJP, and Samajwadi Party (SP). Notably, he was elected on the Congress ticket twice.

In the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, he was defeated by JD(S) leader and Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy. However, Kumaraswamy's victory in the Mandya seat during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections has triggered the need for a bypoll.

With the BJP not guaranteeing him a ticket, Yogeshwar switched to Congress, according to latest reports.

On October 21, he said, "I have not been assured of a BJP ticket. I was offered a chance to contest on a JD(S) ticket, but I declined it because I want to run as a BJP candidate given my seniority in the party. The BJP district president informed me that the party plans to field Nikhil Kumaraswamy as the JD(S) candidate from Channapatna."

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was unable to field a candidate for the Channapatna Assembly by-election, as the JD(S) sought to put forward its candidate.