Bengaluru, Oct 23 : Senior BJP leader C.P. Yogeshwara, who joined Karnataka's ruling Congress on Wednesday, said that he had made the decision to switch parties as his growth in the old party was "adversely" affected by its alliance with the JD-S.

Addressing a joint press conference after joining the Congress in the presence of its state chief and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, Yogeshwara said that former Congress MP D.K. Suresh played an important role in roping him into the Congress.

"I was earlier with the Congress for many years. I had begun my political career under the leadership of D.K. Shivakumar. I had gone out of the party for years and now I have made a comeback. Many incidents have taken place in the last two to three months. Many times, one won't be able to live in their own houses which they would have built. After the alliance with the JD-S, I felt that there was no conducive atmosphere for me in the party. I faced an adverse situation for my growth in BJP," he contended.

"In this background, I have decided to join the Congress of my own will and unconditionally. I reached Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar's residence at 8 a.m. and had an open talk. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also spoke to me. I joined the party keeping the development of the region in mind," Yogeshwara stated.

Asked about criticism against him that he is not loyal, Yogeshwara said that till he is with a political party, he will remain totally loyal to that party.

"I have contributed to the victories of former Congress MP D.K. Suresh. Similarly, I was also responsible for his defeat. Now, again, I will work for him in future," he maintained.

Welcoming him into the party, Shivakumar declared that he is confident of the Congress winning in all three seats which are going to bypolls in the state.

"I will send the name of Yogeshwara to the high command to contest from Channapatna seat and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge will make a final decision," he said.

On Thursday at 11 am, the Congress candidate will file the nomination for the Channapatna assembly seat, he said.

"Yogeshwara has told me that he wanted to pursue his political career from the Congress led by AICC President Kharge and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Yogeshwara conveyed that he wanted to quit the NDA and the BJP and join the Congress unconditionally," Shivakumar stated.

"I had brought this matter to the knowledge of the high command and took permission. Yogeshwara had got the primary membership of the party. The first round of meetings was held with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Following the development, I was unable to attend the event of filing the nomination of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Wayanad Constituency. I will also have to take up the city rounds in Bengaluru in the backdrop of heavy rains causing disruptions," Shivakumar stated.

"Politics is an art of possibilities. Yogeshwara is coming back to his party. He had contested from the Samajwadi Party, the BJP, and the Congress and also as an independent candidate from Channapatna seat. I have personally visited Channapatna 15 times recently and interacted with people. The Congress government is stable and strong for the rest of the term and it will come to power in the next term," he claimed.

Yogeshwara had won the Channapatna Assembly seat in 1999 as an independent candidate. In 2004 and 2008, he won the seat as a Congress candidate. In 2011, Yogeshwara won the seat on a BJP ticket and in the 2013 election, he won on a Samajwadi Party ticket. However, he lost the seat against Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in the 2018 and 2023 Assembly elections. In the 2023 elections, Yogeshwara secured 80,677 votes against Kumaraswamy who won with a margin of 15,915 votes. Now, with Yogeshwara all set to contest on a Congress ticket, it would be a litmus test for NDA, especially Union Minister Kumaraswamy, to ensure the victory of the alliance candidate.

/IANS