Kishore Peraje
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, Oct 16: Harikrishna Bantwal, who was expelled from the Congress 2015 for contesting the MLC election as an independent candidate, is now all set to join the BJP.

The Billawa leader is expected to join the BJP at the 'Parivartana Samavesha' in Bantwal on November 20, sources said.

It is learnt that local representatives of the Congress party visited his residence to persuade him not to join the BJP, but the prolonged discussions apparently bore no result. Harikrishna reportedly told the Congressmen that he was pained by the party and hence had decided to join the BJP.

File Photo

Harikrishna Bantwal was an active member of the Congress for 35 years and served in several posts. There were rumours of his joining BJP for some time. He had revolted against the Congress when he was refused ticket in the last MLC elections, and dissatisfied with the candidature of Pratapchandra Shetty. He then contested the elections as an independent for which he was expelled from the party for six years.

Harikrishna had alleged that the district in-charge minister and prominent leaders were responsible for his loss in the elections. He had maintained a distance from the party and its leaders. His statements against the party made him drift further from the Congress.

He has reportedly decided to join the BJP with permission from his 'guru' Congress leader Janardhan Poojary.

Harikrishna Bantwal was an activist of the Jan Sangh and shouldered many responsibilities in the organization. He was even in jail for some time. He left the RSS later and joined the Congress. After opposing the BJP for 35 long years, he has now decided to join the saffron party.