From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Aug 3: Former BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Finance in the A B Vajpayee led NDA regime, V Dhananjay Kumar, formally joined the ruling Congress party in Karnataka on Thursday.
Dhananjay Kumar, an erstwhile staunch loyalist of State BJP President and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, had represented the Mangaluru Lok Sabha constituency for four consecutive terms.
The veteran BJP leader had shot to political limelight after his stunning victory by defeating senior Congress leader B Janardhana Poojary in 1991.
The 66-year-old former Union Minister had met AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi during the latter’s visit to Bengaluru a few days ago and expressed his willingness to join the Congress.
Kumar joined the party in the presence of KPCC President Dr G Parameshwara and Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao at the party office in Bengaluru on Thursday.
It may be recalled that Dhananjay Kumar began his political career in the youth wing of BJP and later went on to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly in 1983.
With the rise of the BJP in the State, Kumar represented the Mangaluru constituency in the Lok Sabha for four successive terms and served as the Union Minister.
He was cabinet minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism in 1996, Union Minister of State for Finance from 1999–2000 and Union Minister of State for Textiles from 2000–2003.
The BJP’s central leadership was angered by Dhananjay Kumar’s criticisms against leaders such L K Advani and had expelled him from the BJP on that grounds that he was indulging in “anti-party activities”.
He subsequently quit the BJP along with former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa when the latter floated the Karnataka Janata Paksha in 2012.
Later on the eve of Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Yeddyurappa joined the BJP.
Later, Dhananjay Kumar joined the JD(S). But he was unable to make any political headway in the Vokkaliga dominated party.