After Somashekar, Shivaram Hebbar too meet CM, sparks buzz

BENGALURU: Days after BJP legislator S T Somashekar met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, triggering speculation about some of the turncoats returning to the Congress, another legislator, Shivaram Hebbar, met the CM on Friday.

Hebbar was closeted in a meeting with Siddaramaiah for about half an hour. The Arabail MLA arrived in Bengaluru on Thursday and met the CM on Friday. The development comes amid talk that some of the BJP legislators may switch to the Congress though the saffron party has been insisting that no one will leave.

The BJP is also making all efforts to retain the ‘Bombay Boys’, the group of legislators who broke away from the Congress and joined the BJP, thereby bringing down the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in 2019.

Over the last few days, state BJP leaders have been holding meetings with those who are said to be planning to switch to the Congress, including Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar.