Bengaluru: Former MLA N L Narendra Babu, who recently resigned as Karnataka BJP Backward Classes Morcha president and quit the party’s primary membership, has announced that he will join the Congress on September 13.
Addressing a press conference at Hotel Maurya on Friday, Narendra Babu alleged that loyal BJP workers who had worked for the organisation for years were being denied recognition and opportunities.
Narendra Babu said he had been in public life for nearly four decades, serving three terms as a city corporation councillor and two terms as an MLA. Despite working with the BJP for around 10 years, he and his supporters were allegedly sidelined in the Rajajinagar and Mahalakshmi Layout constituencies.
He alleged that no action was taken against those who worked against him and accused the party leadership of maintaining “deliberate silence” over such issues.
Claiming credit for contributing to BJP victories in Rajajinagar and Mahalakshmi Layout, he said he had worked for the electoral success of Suresh Kumar and Gopalaiah, respectively.
Narendra Babu criticised what he described as a lack of opportunities for grassroots workers and backward classes.
“Workers are asked to sacrifice for the organisation, but are ignored once the party comes to power,” he alleged, adding that requests to appoint party workers to boards and corporations had not received adequate response.
He also alleged that he was made to tour the state multiple times for the party but that “sycophants” were subsequently given greater opportunities.
Narendra Babu said the Congress had offered him better opportunities and praised the functioning of the state government under Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and the party organisation under KPCC president B K Hariprasad.
He also criticised the BJP over what he described as the influence of the RSS in party decision-making and alleged that BJP MPs had failed to adequately raise Karnataka’s issues.
Narendra Babu said he would formally join the Congress at the KPCC office on September 13, in the presence of Shivakumar and Hariprasad, along with his supporters.
He said he would work as a Congress worker towards the party’s goal of winning 150 Assembly constituencies in the upcoming elections.
