‘All welcome to Congress’: Siddu courts rebels

NT Correspondent

Bagalkote: Former CM and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday virtually rolled out the red carpet to all those keen on joining the Opposition party remarking, ‘All are welcome to the Congress.’

He gave enough hints that the rebels who left the party three years ago leading to the collapse of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government, could be back in the party fold Mr Siddaramaiah told reporters that those who wish to join the Congress must join the party without any preconditions. “Our party will accept those who are willing to join us,” he said dropped enough hints that the party might turn soft on the rebels who had joined the BJP in 2019.

In a response to a question, Siddaramiah said, “There can be no restrictions on those who want to join our party. The only condition is that they must accept our leadership as well as our ideology wholeheartedly,” he said.

The Leader of Opposition said that there are several leaders who are in touch with him and ahead of assembly elections in 2023, everything will come out in the open. “Why should I reveal their names now? The names will be made public, when the time is ripe,” he said.

Meanwhile, countering the claim, Revenue Minister R. Ashok said there were many Congress leaders who were in touch with him and eager to join the BJP.