Yogeshwar quits BJP, all set to contest Channapatna bypoll as Congress candidate

On October 21, C. P. Yogeshwar resigned as BJP MLC after he came to know that he would not get the party ticket

In a dramatic political development, the actor-turned-politician C. P. Yogeshwar is all set to join the Congress and is likely to be named as the party’s candidate in the bypoll to the Channapatna Assembly seat.

On October 23, Mr Yogeshwar met Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar at the latter’s residence at Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru.

 Later, Mr Shivakumar and Mr Yogeshwar travelled in the same car to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The former BJP MLC was expected to join the Congress at the party office in Bengaluru later in the day.

On October 22, Mr Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief D. K. Shivakumar’s brother and former MP D.K. Suresh hinted that the Congress would welcome any leader who joined the party and follows the party principles.

On October 21, Mr Yogeshwar resigned as BJP MLC after he came to know that he would not get the party ticket.

Mr Yogeshwar was elected to the Assembly five times from the Channapatna constituency since 1999 as an independent, and from the Congress, BJP and Samajwadi Party (SP). He was elected on the Congress ticket twice from the constituency.

In the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, Mr Yogeshwar was defeated by JD(S) leader and Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy.

But, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Mr Kumaraswawmy contested from the Mandya seat and won, necessitating the by-poll.

With the BJP not assuring him the party ticket, Mr Yogeshwar is likely to join the Congress, sources in the party said.

On October 21, Mr Yogeshwar said, “I have not been assured of the party [BJP] ticket. I was given the offer of contesting on a JD(S) ticket. But I rejected the offer, as I want to contest on the BJP ticket given my seniority in the party. The BJP district president told me that the party wants to field Nikhil Kumaraswamy as the JD(S) candidate from Channapatna.”

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was not able to field a candidate for the Channapatna Assembly seat by-election as the JD(S) wanted its candidate to contest the poll.

Published - October 23, 2024 10:28 am IST