JDS continues to lose its MLAs in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Shivalinge Gowda, Janata Dal Secular (JDS) MLA representing Arasikere seat in Hassan, tendered his resignation to the post on Sunday and submitted his resignation to Speaker Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri. Gowda is set to join the Congress party.

Hassan is the JDS bastion and home turf of former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda. In the 2018 Assembly polls, JDS had won in five seats and BJP registered a lone victory in Hassan assembly seat. Hassan Lok Sabha seat is represented by Prajwal Revanna son of former minister and JDS MLA H.D. Revanna. Revanna's elder son Suraj Revanna is the MLC from Hassan.

Shivalinge Gowda is the second MLA from JDS in Hassan district to resign from the party after Arkalgud MLA A.T. Ramaswamy, a four-time MLA.

Shivalinge is a three-time MLA from JDS and was earlier a Zilla Panchayat member and a couple of days back, the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee D.K. Shivakumar had told a press conference that Shivalinge Gowda would soon join the Congress party.

Expecting that Shivalinge Gowda would switch his loyalties to the Congress party, JDS leaders have announced a former Zilla Pancahayat Ashok as the replacement for Gowda in the Arasikere Assembly seat.

A miffed Ramaswamy who had reportedly distanced himself from the party resigned from the post and joined Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi and he was inducted into the party by Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday. For the Arkalgud seat, JDS has inducted former minister A. Manju who was in Congress party and also in BJP.

State president of BJP Nalinkumar Kateel said that the party has been strengthened by the induction of A.T. Ramaswamy.

In recent days, prominent among those who have exited from JDS include former MLA of Kadur seat YSV Datta and S. R. Srinivas former MLA of Gubbi seat in Tumakuru seat. Both have joined the Congress party.