Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and former Minister Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapur constituency) and former MLA Renukacharya meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday has further given credence to speculation on the potential departure of a few BJP MLAs to join the Congress.
Both leaders met and submitted petitions to the Chief Minister and maintained that they would not quit the BJP. But rumours are doing the rounds that Mr. Hebbar would quit the BJP along with Yeshwantpur BJP MLA S.T. Somashekar in the next few days.
Mr. Hebbar submitted a memorandum seeking declaration of Yellapur taluk as drought-hit following deficit rainfall. Mr. Renukacharya too claimed that he sought declaration of Honnali-Nymati taluk as drought-affected.
