Hubballi, 6 March

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar claimed on Wednesday several leaders from Opposition parties will be joining the ruling Congress in the coming days, and that he does not want to divulge the "secret" now.

He also did not rule out the possibility of "rebel" BJP MLAs ST Somashekar and Arabail Shivaram Hebbar joining Congress. "Why take just two-three names?" Shivakumar asked reporters here, in response to a question on whether Somashekar and Hebbar are joining the Congress.

He subsequently nodded his head in agreement, when asked whether more people will be joining the party.

Questioned as to how many will be joining Congress from other parties, the state Congress chief said: "why talk about it now? I have told our party workers to induct all those willing and who have regards for the party, locally."

Asked if MLAs from other parties will be joining Congress, he said, "How can I divulge the secrets?"

Hebbar, MLA from Yellapur, did not turn up for the voting despite a party whip, citing health grounds, while Yeshwanthpur MLA Somashekhar cross-voted in favour of Congress in the name of "conscience", during the polls to four seats of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka on February 27, in an embarrassment to the BJP.

Somashekhar and Hebbar were earlier in the Congress. They were among 17 Congress-JD(S) legislators, who had quit from their parties, which ultimately led to the collapse of the then H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in July, 2019. They had subsequently won the bypolls on BJP ticket and served as Ministers in the previous saffron party government.

Shivakumar and several other Congress leaders have earlier too made claims about more BJP and JD(S) leaders joining the party, especially in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls.