Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former MLC Ayanur Manjunath joined the Congress in the presence of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at the party office in Bengaluru on August 24.
Mr Manjunath, belonging to the Lingayat community, is likely to be the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from Shivamogga constituency. He joined the Congress along with his supporters from Shivamogga district.
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Nagaraj Gowda, who was denied the Congress ticket for Shikaripur constituency, and contested as an independent against BJP candidate B.Y. Vijayendra, son of former CM B.S. Yediyurappa, too joined the Congress. He lost to B.Y. Vijayendra (BJP) by a margin of 11,000 votes.
Mr Manjunath was in the BJP before joining the JD(S) on the eve of the Karnataka legislative Assembly polls in May 2023. He was a close aide of BJP veteran B.S. Yediyurappa. He contested the Assembly elections from Shivamogga on the JD(S) ticket, but was defeated.
Born on November 14, 1955, he became a member of the 12th Lok Sabha from Shivamogga constituency by defeating former chief minister S. Bangarappa of the Congress. He has served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha and member of both Houses of the Karnataka legislature.
Mr Manjunath, a law graduate, resigned as MLC and also from primary membership of the BJP on April 19, 2023.
He met Mr Shivakumar on August 20 to discuss joining the Congress.
Mr Shivakumar said Mr Manjunath joined the party without any conditions. Senior leaders should accept the new leaders joining the Congress. He had not promised tickets to any person who joined the party, Mr Shivakumar said.
