6 BJP Channapatna corporators join Congress on by-poll eve

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

In the lead up to the Channapatna Assembly by-election, six of the seven town corporators from the BJP joined the Congress on Tuesday. The fresh defectors from the BJP were welcomed to the outfit’s fold by former MP DK Suresh, Congress Channapatna taluk president Raghunandan Ramanna at the party office in Channapatna town of Ramanagar district on Tuesday. The corporators are Manohar, Chandru, Mangalamma, Jayamala, Kamala and Kasturi. Back in September, 13 of the 16 JD(S) corporators in the 31-member Channapatna City Council defected to the Congress. Ramanagar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Yeshwant Gurukar, who is also the District Election Officer (DEO), approved it with no need for disqualification as more than two-thirds of the JD(S) legislature party in the Council had defected.

Channapatna City Council polls were held in 2021. Of the 31 wards, JD(S) had won 16 while BJP and Congress had landed seven seats each and one had been secured by and independent. After the defections, JD(S) has three corporators while BJP is left with only one. Meanwhile, Congress may boost its tally in the Council to as high as 28.