Congress saves face, turns the tables in Karnataka, with help of these two BJP MLAs

Even as the Congress legislators huddled in the run-up to the Rajya Sabha elections, the BJP was left embarrassed after its MLA from Yeshwantpur, S T Somashekar, cross-voted while Yellapur MLA Shivram Hebbar abstained from voting.

Interestingly, both the MLAs were associated with the Congress and were part of the group of legislators who jumped ship to the BJP in 2019, leading to the fall of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government of H D Kumaraswamy.

Somashekar (66) is a three-time MLA and has interests in real estate, construction and travel business. He served as the chairman of the Bangalore Development Authority during the Kumaraswamy regime and post his switch held the cooperation portfolio in the B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai Cabinets.

Once considered close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he is now seen as an aide of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar. A few days ago, he was seen on a chartered flight with the Deputy CM, triggering speculations of his return to the Congress. He may now be fielded by the party as a candidate from the Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency.

Hebbar also is a three-time MLA, with an areca nut plantation and other business interests. He served as minister of labour in the Yediyurappa and Bommai Cabinets.

He is reportedly also unhappy with the BJP, though reasons about this are still unclear. Speculation is doing the rounds that he may return to the Congress fold and may be the party’s candidate from Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha seat.

He entered politics in 1983 with election to the Yellapur APMC. In the 2008 Assembly election, he contested the Yellapur-Mundgod seat as a Congress nominee but lost to the BJP’s V S Patil.