THE SOUTHERN EXPANSION
KARNATAKA
BASAVARAJ BOMMAI
From: JD (S) to BJP in 2008 USP: Son of former Janata stalwart S.R. Bommai, he carried his father’s legacy and, as CM, represents the powerful Lingayat community.
BASAVARAJ HORATTI From: Janata Dal (Secular) to BJP in 2022
USP: Was chairman, Karnataka Legislative Council, eight times MLC. Is now BJP’s MLC
PRAMOD MADHWARAJ From: Congress to BJP in 2022
USP: Was state PCC Vice President and now working to expand BJP
K. SUDHAKAR From: Congress to BJP in 2019
USP: He was MLA, Chikkaballapur and is now Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Medical Education Department. And is most trusted minister of the chief minister
DR UMESH JADHAV From: Congress to BJP in 2019
USP: Is former Congress MLA from Chincholi and at present BJP’s MP from Gulbarga. Mallikarjuna Kharge lost to him
SHOBHA KARANDLAJE From: KJP to BJP in 2014 USP: Left BJP in 2012 with B.S. Yediyurappa. Currently minister of state for agriculture
RAMESH JARKIHOLI From: Congress to BJP in 2019
USP: Eldest sibling from powerful Jarkiholi family of Belgaum, MLA of Gokak
RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR From: Independent to BJP in 2018
USP: Former telecom pioneer brings his vast media holdings to the BJP’s advantage
S.T. SOMASHEKAR From: Congress to BJP in 2019
USP: Former Congress MLA, is now Minister of Cooperative. Among first of 16 MLAs to resign in 2019 to topple the JD(S)- Congress coalition
TELANGANA
D.K. ARUNA From: Congress to BJP in 2019
USP: Now BJP’s national vice president, she is co-in-charge of the party’s affairs in Karnataka. She is from an influential Reddy family of Mahbubnagar, and lost the Lok Sabha poll from there to Manne Srinivas Reddy of the TRS
M. RAGHUNANDAN RAO
From: TRS to BJP in 2014 USP: Was TRS politburo member and Medak district convenor. He is now BJP’s MLA from Dubbaka and secretary in the state unit
G. VIVEKANAND From: TRS to BJP in 2019 USP: Former MP from Peddapalli and was adviser to the TRS government. He had earlier been an MP from the same constituency
EATALA RAJENDER From: TRS to BJP in June 2021
USP: Former Finance Minister in TRS government, he joined the BJP. He won the Huzarabad assembly byelection by a wide margin
B. BHIKSHAMAIAH GOUD
From: TRS to BJP in 2022 USP: Former Congress MLA, had joined BJP after spending three years in TRS
K. VISHWESHWAR REDDY
From: Congress to BJP in 2022
USP: Elected MP on a TRS ticket in 2014, he lost on a Congress ticket in 2019
ANDHRA PRADESH
D. PURANDESWARI From: Congress to BJP in 2014
USP: Second daughter of TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao, she quit the Congress following the decision to reorganise Andhra Pradesh in 2014. She fought and lost the Lok Sabha polls on the party ticket for the Rajampet seat in 2014 and Visakhapatnam in 2019. Now she is among the 10 general secretaries—the lone woman—and steers the BJP Mahila Morcha
Y.S. CHOWDARY From: TDP to BJP in 2019 USP: Following the rout of the TDP in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh assembly polls, four (all industrialists) of its six Rajya Sabha members led by Chowdary, a former Union Minister, joined the BJP. His tenure has ended
C.M. RAMESH From: TDP to BJP in 2019 USP: He is among the four of six Rajya Sabha members who joined the BJP soon after the rout of the TDP in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh assembly polls. His tenure ends in April 2024
T.G. VENKATESH From: TDP to BJP in 2019 USP: He is among the four of six Rajya Sabha members who joined the BJP soon after the rout of the TDP in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh assembly polls
TAMIL NADU
NAINAR NAGENDRAN From: AIADMK to BJP in 2017
USP: One of the four MLAs of BJP, Nagendran is a former AIADMK minister. He is now vice-president of the Tamil Nadu BJP and is leader of the legislature party
KHUSHBU SUNDAR From: Congress to BJP USP: Actor turned politician was face of Congress in Tamil Nadu and national media. She now actively articulates BJP’s point of view
P. SARAVANAN From: DMK to BJP in March 2021
USP: Was sitting MLA of DMK from Tirupparankundram, he along with Ku Ka Selvam (MLA, Thousand Lights constituency) had joined BJP and contested on party’s ticket but lost polls. Is active in state unit
PUDUCHERRY
A. NAMASSIVAYAM From: Congress to BJP in January 2021
USP: Former state PCC chief and was minister in Narayanasamy government. He was first to join BJP and led the exodus of other legislators. Today he is home minister of the state