Former Congress veteran and External Affairs Minister in the UPA government, SM Krishna said nobody can interfere with Congress’ “hereditary leadership”. He added that he had left the party a long time ago.
Though Karnataka BJP President, BS Yeddyurappa, said Krishna will join the BJP on 15 March, Krishna himself told reporters “keep speculating” about his date of joining.
The veteran leader had announced his exit from Congress on 29 January stating that the party was in a “state of confusion”.
The Karnataka Congress, however, has said it did not think that his exit would affect the party’s prospects in future elections, including the by-poll next month.
We will definitely take care of that (Krishna’s) loss. If one considers it as a loss, we will definitely manage it.G Parameshwara, Karnataka Home Minister
Asked whether the loss of Krishna would mean losing the Vokkaliga votes, Parameshwara said the party does not believe in caste politics as an election strategy.
Krishna, who was the Karnataka Chief Minister from 1999 to 2004, had returned to state politics after stepping down as the External Affairs Minister in 2012. He had also served as the Governor of Maharashtra.
(With inputs from PTI)
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