Bengaluru, DHNS: 5 former legislators set to join saffron party this month.The BJP?seems to have emerged a favourite among politicians shifting their party affiliations with at least five former legislators set to join the saffron fold this month.

Party observers feel the trend is an indication of the growing clout of the party at the cost of the Congress at the grassroots. Besides, hundreds of supporters follow their leader into the party, increasing its base. The party, at this point, has not been selective when it comes to opening its doors to new comers. All those joining, except maybe former minister V Srinivas Prasad, are not imposing conditions, the sources said.

The trend of party-hopping started in January this year when Prasad quit the Congress to join the BJP. Prasad was unhappy that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had “unceremoniously” dropped him from his Cabinet. The Assembly elections are a good 14 months away. But the first litmus test for the party will be the outcome of the Nanjangud and Gundlupet Assembly byelections, dates for which are expected to be announced in the third week of March. Prasad will be contesting from his home constituency of Nanjangud on a BJP?ticket.

On more familiar ground for the party in Uttara Kannada, former MP and Congress leader K Jayaprakash Hegde is likely to join the BJP on March 8. Hegde represented the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency and has a good rapport with voters from the Bunt community in the coastal region. Sitting MP Shobha Karandlaje is likely to quit the Lok Sabha constituency to contest the Assembly elections next year and Hegde, in all probability, will contest from the seat.

Kundapur MLA Haladi Srinivas Shetty, who had contested successfully as an independent candidate in the 2003 Assembly elections, has mended fences with the BJP and is likely to formally rejoin the party this month. Political churning is happening in the Malnad region too with party sources stating that former minister Kumar Bangarappa is likely to join the BJP within the next few days.

Down south, Parimala Nagappa, who had won the Hanur Assembly constituency in Chamarajanagar district in 2004, will join the BJP tentatively on March 16. Parimala Nagappa is at present with the Congress and the BJP has no presence in Hanur.
Congress leader and former Bhatkal MLA G D Naik will also join the BJP.

Earlier this week, former MLA and JD(S) leader from Uttara Kannada Dinakar Shetty and Congress leader from Yellapur Pramod Hegde joined the BJP.

They are likely to be given the ticket to contest from Kumta and Yellapur Assembly constituencies respectively, at present held by Sharada Mohan Shetty (Cong) and Arbail Shivaram Hebbar (Independent)