In what has become a shocking switchover in poll-bound Karnataka, a BJP MLA has on Monday - April 3 officially joined the Congress party in the presence of state Congress unit president DK Shivakumar. NY Gopalakrishna was a BJP MLA, representing the Kudligi constituency and on Friday, he resigned his post as a legislator. 

His resignation has sparked speculations that he will switch side with the Congress party. Proving such speculations, Gopalakrishna has joined the Congress party on Monday at a high time when the opinion polls ahead of the election predicted that the ruling BJP would suffer a huge debacle and that Congress will come to power in a clear majority. 

Gopalakrishna was one among the league of BJP and JD(S) leaders who joined the Congress. Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar welcomed the influx of people from the other parties and said that several leaders joining the Congress ahead of the polls is an evidence to prove that public sentiment is in favour of the party and it will come to power. 

"Several BJP and JD(S) leaders are knocking our door, this is evidence to show that the voice of the people of the state is in favour of the Congress and that our march is on a right track, towards power", Shivakumar added. It has been reported that the Congress party is planning to field Gopalakrishna from the Molakalmuru constituency, which has triggered a fury from the camp of fellow Congress leader Yogesh Babu, who has been vying for the same seat. 

However, Shivakumar asserted that the Congress part hasn't assured tickets to anyone and his assertion was aimed at the party leaders who are protesting against the inductions of the cadres from other parties and awarding them seats in the election. "There is a big list of people wanting to join the Congress, the party has not assured tickets to anyone. We will screen every name, only if we are able to accommodate them", Shivakumar added. 

According to PTI, Gopalakrishna is a six-time MLA who was earlier with the Congress and had got elected from the Molakalmuru constituency in Chitradurga district four times and once from Ballari, before joining the BJP and triumphing from Kudligi. Ahead of the 2018 assembly elections, Gopalakrishna joined the BJP after Congress denied him a ticket. 

BJP fielded him from Kudligi in the 2018 polls. However, ahead of the upcoming assembly polls, Gopalakrishna has now joined Congress again and by recalling his and his family's long association with the Congress, he said that he will work for the Congress party's victory in Ballari, Chitradurga, and Vijayanagara districts. The 224 assembly seats in Karnataka will go for a single-phase poll on May 10 and the votes would be counted on May 13.