Geetha Shivarajkumar, wife of Kannada actor Shivarajkumar and daughter of former Chief Minister the late S. Bangarappa, is set to join the Congress soon.
Madhu Bangarappa, who quit the JD(S) to join the Congress, said his sister Ms. Geetha too would join the party.
Ms. Geetha contested the Lok Sabha election on JD(S) ticket in 2014 from the Shivamogga constituency, but she lost to the BJP. Speaking to mediapersons after a meeting with KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar on Friday, Mr. Madhu said he would officially join the party at a function later. But, he had already started working as a Congress worker since Thursday, he said. Mr. Madhu congratulated Mr. Shivakumar who completed one year in office as KPCC president.
The State congress president said he grew under the shadow of S. Bangarappa in the late 1980s and that the former Chief Minister encouraged youth leaders in the Congress.
Mr. Shivakumar said the party high command had informed him about Mr. Madhu’s willingness to join the party. He would meet senior leaders Mallikarjun kharge, M. Veerappa Moily, and Kagodu Thimmappa in the coming days.
The KPCC chief said many people had been looking forward to a political change both at the Central and State levels owing to high inflation.
Asked if other leaders were joining the Congress, he said: “Anyone who believes in the party’s ideology can join. Many people from different districts will join in the coming days.” On whether he had targeted the JD(S), Mr. Shivakumar said: “I am not interested in targeting anyone. We have to consolidate the party to come to power”.
A couple of days ago, Ashok Managuli, son of former JD(S) MLA the late C. Managuli. joined the Congress.
