Former MP and expelled Janata Dal (Secular) leader LR Shivarame today joined the BJP in the presence of the party's state chief Nalinkumar Kateel and party national general secretary CT Ravi, in Bengaluru.
In an exclusive interview with ANI after joining the BJP, Mr Shivarame said, "In the next 10 days, many more leaders will be joining the BJP. The people of Karnataka want a double-engine government in the state and the party will form a majority government in Karnataka."
On why he left the JD(S), he said, "I have been in politics for the last 40 years. I started my career with the Youth Congress. But both in the JD(S) and the Congress, leadership couldn't sustain promising, young members. Internal politics and clashes keep on happening regularly. You don't even have the right to express your suggestions openly. That's why I have decided to join the BJP".
Senior JDS leader ATR Ramaswamy also joined the BJP recently.
The former MP said that Karnataka voters are very 'clever' that they want a double-engine government in the state.
"People know that in a double-engine government, work doesn't suffer and projects are put on the fast-track. Coordination with the Centre is very important. We are seeing this in so many states. The BJP has been in power in Karnataka for the last three years. The development we saw under the BJP rule is something no one could have even imagined in the last 50 years. So, the people of Karnataka are ready to vote for the double engine government," he further said.
He added, "BJP is a cadre-based party and is working to win Karnataka and make further inroads in the South. Forget Siddaramaih, forget Shivakumar, forget Kumaraswamy. BJP will form the government in the state with its biggest majority".
He said that in some areas ,BJP and JDS are strong, while in others, all three parties, including the Congress, are strong.
"However, despite all that, the BJP will come to power," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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