Karnataka BJP leader Tejaswini Gowda joins Congress ahead of LS polls

Days after resigning as an MLC (member of legislative council) in Karnataka, the BJP's Tejaswini Gowda joined the Congress on Saturday, declaring that the saffron party does not believe in Constitutional and democratic values.

Gowda, who was a Congress MP between 2004 and 2009, and crossed over to the BJP in 2014, called her return to the grand old party her "homecoming".

She was inducted into the Congress in the presence of party general-secretary Jairam Ramesh and media and publicity department head Pawan Khera at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

"We welcome Tejaswini Gowda, an active leader in Karnataka politics, to the Congress. We have full confidence that Tejaswini ji will remain active in the coming elections. Tejaswini was a Congress MP between 2004 and 2009 and has been vocal on various issues. We are happy that she has returned to the Congress," Ramesh said.

In her remarks, Gowda said, "The Congress believes in action and not just words. History is there for us to see. It's high time, and with all sincerity, I would like to work for the party. The BJP does not believe in Constitutional democratic values."

Gowda, a former journalist, also exuded confidence that the Congress would win 23 of the 28 seats in Karnataka in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

After joining the BJP in 2014, Gowda was elected as an MLA in 2018. She was also a spokesperson for the BJP. Her tenure as MLC was to end in June 2024.

She was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha (2004-09) from Kanakapura constituency. She won the seat, which is now Bangalore Rural, as a Congress candidate, defeating former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular).