Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)

Mangaluru, Apr 20: Former mayor of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) and Congress stalwart, Kavita Sanil, known for her close ties with chief minister Siddaramaiah and her affiliation with the Billava community, has made a sudden and surprising move by defecting from the Congress party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Kavita Sanil, alongside Bantwal taluk panchayat member Gangadhar Poojary, formally announced their decision to join the BJP during a party meeting led by BJP state president B Y Vijayendra at B C Road.

Kavita Sanil, speaking after joining the BJP, said that she came to the BJP after receiving blessings from her political mentor, veteran Congress leader Janardhan Poojary. She said, "He has sent me with his blessings, advising me to pursue opportunities for the greater good. Despite the Congress rule, do not assume that I have joined the BJP out of personal aspirations. I am aligning with the BJP based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance. We will observe the developments in the state.

"The chief minister and the home minister have trivialized the murder of a student named Neha in Hubballi, which occurred in broad daylight yesterday. We need to question whether our lives hold no value. There has been a string of murders over the last few months. This is the state of affairs under their governance.

"We are fortunate that Ram Mandir is constructed in Ayodhya. The vote we cast this time is not just for Modi but for Lord Ram. We should ensure that BJP candidate Capt Brijesh Chowta wins with the highest number of votes," she said.