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Following political rivalry among brothers, six-time MLA and former minister Malikaya Guttedar quit the BJP and joined the ruling Congress in Karnataka, on April 19.
Malikaya Guttedar was upset following the induction of his brother Nitin Guttedar in the BJP.
He joined the Congress in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar and Minister Priyank Kharge.
Malikaya Guttedar had contested the 2023 Assembly elections from Afzalpur constituency in Kalaburagi district. He lost to Congress candidate M.Y. Patil.
Malikaya Guttedar had secured 31,394 votes. He was pushed to the third place by Nitin Guttedar, secured 51,719 votes as an independent candidate. M.Y. Patil of the Congress emerged victorious with 56,313 votes.
After the induction of Nitin Guttedar in the BJP, Malikaya Guttedar accused former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and his son and State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra of denying tickets to party leaders K.S. Eshwarappa, Sanganna Karadi (Koppal) and Prathap Simha (Mysuru).
Malikaya Guttedar, who belongs to the Idiga community, would support Congress candidate Radhakrishna Doddamani, son-in-law of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in Kalaburagi, and ensure the victory of the party candidate.
Another former Congress MLA Sharada Mohan Shetty also re-joined the Congress. She was the MLA from Kumta constituency during 2013-18.
