Congress chooses to be guarded in admitting BJP defectors

BENGALURU: With a string of leaders exiting the BJP after the announcement of the two lists, and more expected in the coming days, the Congress seems to be weighing its options before admitting them into its fold.

In the last two days, several leaders including Laxman Savadi, Sogadu Shivanna, M P Kumarasway, Goolihati Shekar, R Shankar, N R Ramesh and others have made their anger known over exclusion from the candidates’ list. However, the Congress seems to be considering whether to admit all those willing to join or whether it would yield any benefit.

The Congress has held much discussion on the Operation Lotus and may now pick and choose who it wants to admit into its fold based on two parameters — admit strong candidates where its own leaders face poor prospects and field them instead; those leaders whose support base could help the Congress candidate.

The thinking in the Congress is not to admit everyone who quits the BJP and may want to join it, but to weight the pros and cons and the advantages to the party in admitting the deserters from the BJP.