Karnataka polls: Actor Shivarajkumar's wife Geetha joins Congress

Geetha Shivarajkumar, the wife of Karnataka film star Shivarajkumar, switched to the Congress on Friday (April 28), resigning from the JD(S).

She is the daughter-in-law of Kannada thespian late Dr Rajkumar and daughter of former Chief Minister late S Bangarappa.

She was inducted into the party in the presence of state president D K Shivakumar, AICC spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, and her younger brother Madhu Bangarappa- who is Congress candidate from Soraba, among others.

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Geetha’s other brother and former Minister Kumar Bangarappa is in the BJP and is that party’s candidate from Soraba.

“Im very happy to be doing this. Congress is a historic party, one that made my father the Chief Minister,” Geetha said.

She further said she would campaign for Shivakumar in the Kanakapura segment and for her brother Madhu in Soraba, and other places wherever the party instructs.

Geetha had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Shivamogga as the JD(S) candidate.

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Both Geetha and Shivakumar indicated that Shivarajkumar too will campaign for Congress in the coming days, ahead of Assembly polls.

“I’m welcoming her to the party wholeheartedly….after consistent efforts to make Geetha join the party, she is part of Congress today,” Shivakumar said, recalling his close association with her father Bangarappa.

Former JD(S) Minister B B Ningaiah too joined the party today. Ningaiah was initially given a ticket by JD(S) from Mudigere Assembly segment, but he was later replaced by that party after sitting MLA M P Kumaraswamy joined it on being denied ticket by the BJP.

(With agency inputs)