SM KRISHNA JOINS BJP

NEW DELHI: Veteran Congress leader SM Krishna joined the BJP on Wednesday, almost a year before the assembly election in Karnataka.

The 84-year-old joined the BJP in the presence of party president Amit Shah. The former Karnataka CM, Krishna resigned from the Congress in January taking potshots at the party for being in a “state of confusion”.

Krishna’s move is unlikely to alter the political equations in the state, but it helps the BJP. His exit presents the Congress as a divided house with veterans walking out while CM Siddaramaiah battles anti-incumbency.

Krishna can help soften the opposition that Vokkaligas – the agriculturist community forming 15 % of state’s population – have for the BJP. With BS Yeddurappa as its face, the BJP is considered a party of Lingayats who are at odds with the Vokkaligas in state politics.

Vokkaligas have largely voted for the Janta Dal (Secular), the party of former PM HD Deve Gowda. Krishna is another stalwart from the community and he can help the BJP woo Vokkaligas in southern state.