Congress feels in-house heat over ticket promise to party hoppers

With party-hopping gaining speed in poll-bound Karnataka, resistance is building up in Congress on admitting BJP MLAs with the promise of a party ticket to contest the assembly polls due by May.

In one instance, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar had to intervene to quell rebellion in KR Pet in Mandya district after the local unit protested BJP minister KC Narayana Gowda's reported entry. Gowda is among more than a dozen MLAs who pulled down Congress-JDS coalition government in 2019 by switching over to BJP and contesting bypolls from the new party.

While Gowda is more or less certain to contest on a Congress ticket, speculation is rife that minister V Somanna is also set to leave BJP, but as per people in the know his move will depend on the constituency Congress will offer.


With Congress leader Siddaramaiah eyeing the CM's post for a second time, some of his loyalists may return if he invites them back, said the people.

Both BJP and Congress are unsure how many MLAs will switch sides. This is also one of the reasons Congress is taking time to release its first list of candidates.

KPCC communications cell chief Priyank Kharge told ET last week that his party was expecting 8-10 strong leaders, including MLAs, to come from BJP.

Somanna had skipped BJP chief JP Nadda's event on March 1 in Chamarajanagar, the district he is in charge of. He has been nursing a grouse that BJP has sidelined him though he is the only MLA from the Lingayat community in Bengaluru. As per people in the know, he will join Congress if it offers him a constituency with substantial Lingayat voters. But KPCC working chief Eshwar Khandre has opposed his induction. CM Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday he was confident the senior leader would remain in BJP.

Former BJP member Puttanna has joined Congress after resigning as MLC. He plans to contest from Rajajinagar, triggering protests from Congress aspirants. At Arasikere in Hassan district, JDS MLA KM Shivalinge Gowda has said he will contest from Congress.