Congress welcomes 15 workers from BJP MLA Ashok's stronghold

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: As many as 15 workers, including former corporators, from the BJP and JD(S) Padmanabhanagar units joined the Congress.

The move is being seen as a part of Operation Hasta, a euphemism for the Grand Old Party poaching leaders from the two largest Opposition parties.

It is to be noted that the Padmanabhanagar MLA is a BJP bigwig and former minister R Ashok’s constituency and many of the turncoats had been his supporters.

The workers were welcomed to the party by the likes of Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and his daughter and former Jayanagar MLA Sowmya Reddy at the Bharat Jodo Hall in Bengaluru.

The inductees included former deputy mayor L Srinivas, Prasad Babu, former taluk panchayat member Anjanappa, former corporator Shobha Anjanappa, H Narayana, H Suresh, Venkataswamy Naidu, L Govindaraju, Supriya Shekhar, Balakrishna, Suguna Balakrishna, U Krishnamurthy, Narsimha Naik, former zilla panchayat member Lakshmi Suresh and Pawan Rangaramegowda.

On the occasion, former R Ashoka aide L Srinivas alleged that their selfless service was rewarded by the saffron party with mistreatment.

“Those who have joined the party are a great organizational asset in Bengaluru city and Padmanabhanagar. Your decision to join the party at this time is a prudent one,” Shivakumar said, calling it a “blessing” citing poet Purandara Dasa’s words.