Madhu Bangarappa joins Congress

Hubli: Madhu Bangarappa, ex-JD(S) MLA and son of the former chief minister, the late S Bangarappa, joined the Congress on Friday in the presences of party General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, leader of opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, State unit president D K Shivakumar, and his followers.

"I promise to the Congress leadership that I will try my best to live up to the expectations that they have in me as Bangarappa's son and work day and night to bring the party back to power," Madhu Bangarappa said after his induction.

Stating that it is only through Congress that the poor and weaker sections can get justice, Madhu added that he will take up whatever responsibility the party offers him.

Madhu Bangarappa in March had announced his decision to join the Congress, quitting the JD(S), where he was the party's working president.

"Happy to welcome my political guru S Bangarappa's son Madhu Bangarappa. Our aim is to strengthen the party with focused and like-minded individuals and I am sure Madhu will work towards the same," Shivakumar said after inducting him into the party.

Welcoming Madhu, Siddaramaiah asked him to continue his father- Bangarappa's legacy. "I see Bangarappa's concern for the people, especially weaker and backward sections in Madhu too. I wish him the best. He will definitely uphold his father's name. He has done various work for the betterment of the society," former CM Siddaramaiah said.

Madhu was defeated by his brother Kumara Bangarappa of the BJP in Soraba constituency in the 2018 assembly polls. He had also contested the 2018 Lok Sabha bypolls on a JD(S) ticket and lost to the BJP. In recent years, he was also seen associating himself with Sandalwood films as an actor and producer like Gokarna starring Upendra in 2003. He had his stints with the BJP and Samajwadi Party when his father Bangarappa joined these parties.

Bangarappa, who had been in and out of the Congress, was the chief minister during 1990-92.