Karnataka Congressman (Dr Shushrutha Gowda) who walked Rahul Gandhi's entire Bharat Jodo Yatra joins BJP

MYSURU: Dr Shushrutha Gowda, who walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir alongside Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, quit Congress and joined BJP on Wednesday, barely 48 hours before poll booths opened for the Lok Sabha elections.

Mysuru-based Shushrutha was appointed KPCC general secretary recently.

BJP election in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal welcomed Shushrutha to the party fold. Former deputy CM CN Ashwath Narayan was also present at the BJP office in Bengaluru. His induction gives BJP another Vokkaliga community member.

Shushrutha told reportersthat he was inspired by the “vision and mission” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and the party’s national president JP Nadda. “My goal is to serve people and I felt BJP is the best party to realise my dream,” he said. “BJP has the right people, right platform, and is known to provide opportunities to people with real commitment for the cause of society.”

He claimed Congress is “dividing society on caste lines through dirty tricks”.
Reacting to the development, KPCC spokesperson HA Venkatesh said Gowda’s exit won’t impact Congress in Mysore Lok Sabha segment since “Gowda was not active in party organisation”.