After Chinchansur, Guttedar and Jadhavs in queue to quit BJP

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: The ruling BJP seems to be on shaky ground in the Kalyana Karnataka region especially in Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts due to the exodus of senior leaders who had joined the saffron party during the 2018 Assembly polls but are now going back to the Congress Party.

Two days ago, former minister and Koli Samaj leader, Baburao Chinchansur who had been made a member of the State Legislative Council a year ago, resigned and joined the Congress party in the presence of KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar.

Former minister, Dr A.B. Maalaka Reddy, one of the tall leaders of the HyderabadKarnataka region, joined the BJP during the 2018 Assembly polls. Now, he wants to return to the Congress Party, and his daughter, Archana Reddy has applied to contest in the coming Assembly polls from Kalaburagi district.

Even former MLA of Afzalpur, Mallikaiah Guttedar who has been in the BJP for the last many years, is likely to go back to the Congress Party. But the most surprising name is that of sitting BJP MP Dr Umesh Jadhav. He had defeated the most powerful leader of the region, Mallikarjun Kharge in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

His son, Dr Avinash Jadhav is the sitting BJP MLA from Chincholi. Rumors are agog that the father and son duo may say goodbye to the saffron party and join Congress. The exodus of these leaders has become a big worry for the BJP which looked strong in the Kalyana Karnataka region.