Bengaluru: Former MLA N L Narendra Babu on Friday rejoined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, KPCC president B K Hariprasad and Minister Ramalinga Reddy, marking his return to the party after a period with the BJP.

Shivakumar formally welcomed Narendra Babu back into the Congress by handing him the party flag. A large number of his supporters and workers from the Mahalakshmi Layout and Rajajinagar Assembly constituencies also joined the Congress during the programme.

Shivakumar stresses hard work over caste

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said political success depended on hard work, public service and commitment rather than caste considerations.

“I have 40 years of political experience and have served as a minister after entering electoral politics in 1985. I also served in the Youth Congress. Wherever there is hard work, there will be results,” Shivakumar said.

He said leaders who remained connected with people and worked actively for their welfare would receive public support.

“If leaders remain among the people and actively serve them, people will support and elect them. Caste does not matter,” he said.

Recalling the political journeys of various leaders, Shivakumar said Narendra Babu, Chandrashekhar and Sindhya had won elections from constituencies including Basavanagudi, Rajajinagar and Kanakapura.

“We do not believe in caste. We believe in principles and ideology. I wholeheartedly welcome Narendra Babu and the thousands of workers joining the Congress along with him,” he said.

Congress schemes highlighted

Shivakumar also stressed the contribution of party workers and said several Congress workers had rendered selfless service over the years. He called for their contributions to be recognised and for deserving workers to be given opportunities within the party organisation and government.

He said the Congress had played an important role in the country’s freedom struggle and continued to stand for the Constitution, national flag and national anthem.

According to Shivakumar, the Congress government in Karnataka had implemented several guarantee schemes despite criticism from the BJP.

“Our guarantee schemes were criticised by the BJP, but we have provided Anna Bhagya to four crore people, free electricity under Gruha Jyothi to more than one crore families and free bus travel for women,” he said.

He added that students were also being provided free bus travel and said government services were being taken closer to citizens through Praja Seva initiatives.

Shivakumar said the government would focus on skill development among young people through programmes such as Yuva Setu and work towards inclusive development.

“The blood and sweat of everyone is the same. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains and Sikhs must all progress on the path of development. This is the policy and principle of the Congress,” he said.

Hariprasad recalls Narendra Babu’s political journey

KPCC president B K Hariprasad said Narendra Babu had initially been associated with the Congress before joining the BJP due to political circumstances.

“We had inducted Narendra Babu into the Congress in the presence of then Chief Minister S M Krishna,” Hariprasad recalled.

Hariprasad also criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre, questioning developments in the education sector and alleging irregularities in examinations, including the NEET examination.

He said successive Congress governments had played a role in Bengaluru and Karnataka’s development by establishing institutions and infrastructure in areas such as science, information technology and dairy.

Hariprasad alleged that several public sector enterprises had been closed or sold during BJP rule and accused the Narendra Modi government of neglecting the interests of backward communities.

He also highlighted the Congress’s contribution to universities, literacy, education, healthcare, drinking water and irrigation infrastructure.

“We should not worry only about what we will get. We must work today for the future of our children,” he said.

Ramalinga Reddy backs Narendra Babu’s return

Minister Ramalinga Reddy said Narendra Babu had continued working for poor and disadvantaged sections despite changing political parties.

Describing him as a prominent leader from the backward communities, Reddy welcomed his return to the Congress.

He said the Congress government had fulfilled the promises made to the people and expressed confidence that the party would return to power in the 2028 Assembly elections under the leadership of D K Shivakumar.

Narendra Babu pledges support to Congress

Narendra Babu described his return to the Congress as an important and auspicious moment in his public life.

“Today is a turning point in my political life. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, whom I have known since my school days, played a role in my being elected MLA twice,” he said.

Narendra Babu pledged to work towards achieving Shivakumar’s target of winning 150 Assembly constituencies for the Congress in the upcoming elections.

The event was attended by Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee chairman H M Revanna, former minister Rani Satish, West District Congress president Hanumantharayappa, Narayanaswamy, P R Ramesh, Ramesh Babu, Manjunath, S Keshavamurthy and M Shivraju, among others.