Bengaluru: Former director of Jayadeva Heart Institute and son-in-law of ex-PM HD Deve Gowda, Dr. C.N. Manjunath, is set to officially join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Thursday) at the BJP office in Bangalore. This move comes as Manjunath gears up to contest the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency against DCM D.K. Shivakumar’s brother, D.K. Suresh, as the BJP candidate.
In a significant development, Dr. Manjunath, despite being Deve Gowda’s son-in-law, has never been active in politics. Widely recognized for his service at the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, where he worked tirelessly for the benefit of poor patients, he has garnered immense support transcending party lines.
On Wednesday evening, Dr. Manjunath held discussions separately with Deve Gowda and former CM Yeddyurappa before participating in a BJP campaign meeting in Bengaluru Rural Constituency. He is expected to join the BJP in the presence of state BJP in-charge Radha Mohandas Agarwal, former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa, BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra, and Assembly Opposition Leader Ashok.
Dr. C.N. Manjunath recently retired from his position at the Jayadeva Heart Institute, receiving the Padma Shri award from the central government for his exemplary service. Impressed by his contributions, Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah have persuaded Manjunath to join the BJP ranks.
The electoral landscape in Karnataka is heating up as the JD(S) and BJP form an alliance. Dr. Manjunath, with the backing of JD(S), is set to challenge D.K. Suresh, the incumbent MP in Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP and JD(S) are strategically uniting forces to ensure Manjunath’s victory, combining party votes with his dedicated fan following.
As Dr. C.N. Manjunath takes a leap into the political arena, his entry adds an intriguing twist to the upcoming elections in Bangalore Rural constituency, promising a keenly watched contest.