Karnataka - Belgaum   

Former Minister Umesh Katti to join Janata Dal (S) on June 24

Staff Correspondent

BELGAUM: The former Minister, Umesh V. Katti (Hukkeri) of the Congress is all set to join the Janata Dal (S).

It will be a show of strength with the Janata Dal (S) drawing up plan to organise a workers' meeting at Chikkodi on June 24 where Mr. Katti will join the party.

At least 50,000 workers from Hukkeri taluk, including Sankeshwar and Examba Assembly constituencies, will be mobilised for the meeting, the district Janata Dal (S) President, Ashok Pujar, announced at a press conference here on Sunday.

Mr. Katti, who was a Minister in the H.D. Deve Gowda and J.H. Patel governments, remained with the Janata Dal (U) after the Janata Dal split. Sensing that the Janata Dal (U) had little prospects, he and others, including A.B. Patil and S.C. Malgi, left it to join the Congress a month ahead of the 2004 general elections.

However, though he managed to get party ticket, he suffered a defeat at the hands of a rank outsider fielded by the BJP.

Since then, he remained marginalised in the district Congress.

The change of mind was inevitable as he was also under pressure from supporters who felt that he had better prospects in the Janata Dal (S).

At the same time, if there is any one happy about Mr. Katti quitting the Congress, it is his one-time friend and now political rival, A.B. Patil.

However, Mr. Pujar said Mr. Katti's decision is part of the "ongoing proliferation of workers" in favour of the Janata Dal (S). This got a boost following the debacle of the Congress in the Shimoga Lok Sabha and Chamarajpet Assembly byelections.

Two prominent leaders — Annasab Jolle and K.P. Magennavar from Examba — the home village of district in-charge Minister, Prakash B. Hukkeri, have joined the Janata Dal (S).

Mr. Pujar said a large number of Mr. Katti's supporters in Bijapur and Bagalkot would join the party at meetings in Bijapur on June 22 and in Bagalkot the next day.

The Janata Dal (U) unit in Bijapur has merged with the Janata Dal (S).

Mr. Pujar also indicated that several former Janata Dal (U) leaders some of whom joined the BJP before the general elections and got elected to the Legislative Assembly, were expected to join his party.

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Former Minister Umesh Katti to join Janata Dal (S) on June 24

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