Workers From Karnataka BJP, JD(S) 'Want To Join Congress': Deputy CM Amid Buzz Over 'Operation Hasta'

Shivakumar’s remark comes amid frenzied speculations around some BJP MLAs wanting to return to their parent party, the incumbent Congress

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday said that workers from Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) want to join the Congress party and that the party welcomes them. Shivakumar’s remark comes amid frenzied speculations around some BJP MLAs wanting to return to their parent party, the incumbent Congress in Karnataka under ‘Operation Hasta’. "Workers from BJP and JD(S) in the entire state want to join the Congress party and we welcome them,” said the Congress leader on Monday. 

The speculations stemmed after former minister and a sitting saffron party legislator, ST Somashekar, called on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday. Asked to state the purpose of his visit, the former minister, however, said he called on the chief minister to discuss the “development of his constituency”.

Lending further grist to rumour mills, Ayanur Manjunath of the Janata Dal (Secular), who has been known to change his political stripes, also met Congress state chief and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, PTI reported.

Somashekhar said he met Siddaramaiah to tell about the need for a maternity hospital at Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout on a civic amenity plot and a flyover for Kengeri Satellite Town, according to a PTI report. 

‘Operation Hasta’, or ‘Operation Palm’ is believed to be a drive to woo the Congress dissidents, who switched over to the BJP or JD(S), back to the ruling party. ‘Hasta’ or palm signifies the Congress’s symbol.

The operation, according to PTI, is said to be the Congress’s answer to the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ in 2019 as part of which 17 legislators from the Congress and the JD(S) had embraced saffron.

As was widely reported, ‘Operation Lotus’ led to the fall of the coalition government between the Congress and the JD(S).