Former MLA N L Narendra Babu Returns to Congress in Presence of Shivakumar, Hariprasad

Bengaluru: Former MLA N L Narendra Babu on Friday rejoined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, KPCC president B K Hariprasad and Minister Ramalinga Reddy. Shivakumar handed over the Congress flag to Narendra Babu, formally welcoming him back into the party.

A large number of Narendra Babu’s supporters and workers from the Mahalakshmi Layout and Rajajinagar Assembly constituencies also joined the Congress on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said political success ultimately depends on hard work and service to the people rather than caste.“I have 40 years of political experience and have served as a minister after entering electoral politics in 1985. I also served in the Youth Congress. Wherever there is hard work, there will be results. If leaders remain among the people and actively serve them, people will support and elect them. Caste does not matter,” he said.

Recalling the political journeys of several leaders, Shivakumar said Narendra Babu, Chandrashekhar and Sindhya had won elections from constituencies including Basavanagudi, Rajajinagar and Kanakapura.“We do not believe in caste. We believe in principles and ideology. I wholeheartedly welcome Narendra Babu and the thousands of workers joining the Congress along with him,” he said.

Shivakumar said the party has several workers who have rendered selfless service and stressed the need to recognise their contribution and provide them with opportunities in the organisation and government.He said the Congress had played a key role in the country’s freedom struggle and stood for the Constitution, national flag and national anthem.“Congress is a party that thinks about changing the country and works for the welfare of the poor. Our guarantee schemes were criticised by the BJP, but we have provided Anna Bhagya to four crore people, free electricity under Gruha Jyothi to more than one crore families and free bus travel for women,” he said.

He said students were also being provided free bus travel and that the government was taking its services to people’s doorsteps through Praja Seva initiatives.Shivakumar said the Congress would focus on skill development among youth through programmes such as Yuva Setu and work towards ensuring development for people of all communities.“The blood and sweat of everyone is the same. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains and Sikhs must all progress on the path of development. This is the policy and principle of the Congress,” he said.

B K Hariprasad said Narendra Babu had joined the BJP due to circumstances after initially being associated with the Congress. “We had inducted Narendra Babu into the Congress in the presence of then Chief Minister S M Krishna,” he recalled.

Criticising the BJP-led government at the Centre, Hariprasad questioned the state of the education system and alleged irregularities in examinations, including NEET.He claimed that the Congress governments had contributed to the development of Bengaluru and Karnataka by establishing institutions and infrastructure in sectors such as science, information technology and dairy.

Hariprasad also alleged that several public sector enterprises had been closed or sold during BJP rule and accused the Narendra Modi government of neglecting the interests of backward communities.He said the Congress had contributed to the expansion of universities, literacy, education, healthcare, drinking water and irrigation infrastructure.“We should not worry only about what we will get. We must work today for the future of our children,” he said.

Minister Ramalinga Reddy said Narendra Babu had continued to work for the poor despite changing political parties and described him as a prominent leader from the backward communities.He said the Congress government had fulfilled the promises made to the people and expressed confidence that the party would return to power in the 2028 Assembly elections under the leadership of D K Shivakumar.

Narendra Babu said his return to the Congress marked an important and auspicious moment in his public life.“Today is a turning point in my political life. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, whom I have known since my school days, played a role in my being elected MLA twice,” he said.

He pledged to work towards fulfilling Shivakumar’s goal of winning 150 Assembly constituencies for the Congress in the coming elections.Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee chairman H M Revanna, former minister Rani Satish, West District Congress president Hanumantharayappa, Narayanaswamy, P R Ramesh, Ramesh Babu, Manjunath, S Keshavamurthy and M Shivraju were among those present.

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Bharath Anjanappa

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Bharath Anjanappa is an experienced journalist specializing in Politics and Civic issues. With over a decade (2012 till date) of writing expertise, he handles or contributes towards Bengaluru sector/area. Bharath Anjanappa has completed his graduation/post-graduation from Bangalore University (with a specialization in Finance, Marketing and HR). When not immersed in writing, he can be found spending time farming. Bharath Anjanappa is an accomplished writer with a passion for writing on current political situation and Civic issues. With 12 years of experience, he has honed his craft in various genres, including entertainment, crime, education and Politics. Bharath's diverse family history and embracing cultures have enriched his writing with unique perspectives.

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