CM Basavaraj Bommai 'saddened 'by Savadi's decision to join Congress; 'We shared close bond'

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said he was "saddened" by the decision of former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi to part ways with the BJP and join the Congress.

"...I'm feeling very sad, we shared a close bond. Sometimes such political situations arise," Bommai said. "He might have found his political future in Congress. We will do our job in our party." Rebelling against the BJP denying him the ticket from Athani in Belagavi district, Savadi on Wednesday announced his decision to resign from the primary membership of the party.

Sitting MLA Mahesh Kumathalli, who was backed by BJP's Belagavi strongman and former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, was given the ticket in Athani. Savadi is a three-time MLA from Athani but lost in the 2018 elections to Kumathalli (then in the Congress).

Kumathalli was among the group of 17 defectors, including Jarkiholi, who helped the BJP bring down the Congress-JD(S) coalition and form its government under the leadership of B S Yediyurappa in 2019.

Savadi's decision to join the Congress came after a meeting with Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and Congress general secretary and party in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala here on Friday.

"He has agreed to become a member of our (Congress) family of his own volition", Shivakumar, who was flanked by Savadi and Siddaramaiah, told reporters after the meeting.