Karnataka polls: Former deputy CM Laxman Savadi joins Congress

Former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi has decided to join the Congress, the party’s state president DK Shivakumar announced on Friday, dealing a major blow to the ruling BJP ahead of the Karnakata elections on May 10. On Friday, Savadi met with Congress state president Shivakumar and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah at the latter’s Bengaluru residence.

Shivakumar stated that Savadi will make his political switch official at a press conference later today. Savadi resigned as a Legislative Council member and from the BJP’s primary membership on April 12 after failing to secure a ticket to run for re-election in his Assembly constituency of Athani.

Meanwhile, in the presence of party chief HD Deve Gowda and former CM HD Kumaraswamy, former MLC, and Congress leader Raghu Achar joined former ally JD(S) on Friday. Earlier this week, the incumbent BJP released its first list of 189 candidates. The list included 52 newcomers and eight women.

The BJP was the largest single party in the 2018 elections, winning 104 seats, with the Congress and then-ally JD(S) taking 80 and 37 seats, respectively. The current Karnataka Legislative Assembly’s term will end on May 24. On May 13, the votes for the 224-member Assembly will be counted.