Bengaluru: The BJP has resumed wooing former Housing minister and Congress MLA from Mandya, M.H. Ambareesh in the hope that the Vokkaliga leader will help strengthen it in the old Mysuru region in the run- up to the 2018 assembly polls.
The party had first approached the actor- turned -politician three months ago, soon after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dropped him from the Cabinet.
Among those who met him at the time were former deputy Chief Minister, R. Ashok.
The senior BJP leader is said to have met him again in Dubai with BJP MLA, Nandeesh Reddy a week ago at a Vokkaligara Sangha function to persuade him to join the party.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Mr. Ashok admitted the party was keen on the former minister joining it but he had not made up his mind yet. He was, however, confident he would quit the Congress before the 2018 elections and join the BJP.
Other party insiders claimed Mr Ambareesh was likely to join the BJP only after October or November this year to avoid an early byelection from his constituency.
The BJP seems confident the senior leader, who enjoys quite a following in the old Mysuru region, will opt for it rather than the JDS as he had left that party to join the Congress. Some in the party’s city unit are hoping he will join the BJP sooner than later to keep former Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna from joining it and calling the shots in Bengaluru, owing to his popularity with voters in its constituencies. They believe the rivalry between the two men, which has often come to the fore in Mandya, could keep Mr Krishna away from the party should the former Housing Minister announce his decision to join it.
