One more JD (S) MLA resigns in Karnataka, to join BJP

The JD (S) in Karnataka suffered another setback yesterday when former Minister and party MLA Umesh Katti tendered his resignation to the Legislative Assembly.
Katti, who is also the senior Vice President of party’s state unit, declared that he would be joining the BJP shortly.
The resignation of Katti comes close on the heels of resignation of three JD (S) and three Congress MLAs, who have since joined the BJP.
After announcing his resignation from the Legislative Assembly, Katti, who represented Hukkeri assembly constituency in Belgaum district, said he would contest the by-polls as a BJP candidate.
Speaking to reporters, Katti lashed out at the JD (S) leadership for ignoring its legislators from North Karnataka and the inconsistency in its political stand on various issues.
He recalled that the party leadership decided to align with the Congress during the recent elections to the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council, but voted against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) during the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha last month.
“Though I am the senior Vice President of the party’s state unit, the party leadership never consulted me on any issues. My supporters felt that the party leadership was neglecting its representatives from north Karnataka”, he said.
In contrast, Katti said, BJP was responding to the aspirations of people of north Karnataka and taking all the sections of the society together. “I will be joining the BJP at a function to be held in the presence of the party’s national leaders shortly”, he said.
Though he claimed that his entry into the BJP was unconditional, former Chief Minister and JD (S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said Katti was joining the saffron party for “selfish and narrow gains”.
Kumaraswamy declared that Katti’s exit from the JD (S) would not pose any threat to the JD (S).
The strength of JD (S) in the Assembly, which was 28 when the results were announced during May this year, has come down to 24 now. Katti is among the four party MLAs to have resigned from the JD (S) during the last one month.Three Congress MLAs too have resigned their seats in the Assembly and joined the BJP.