Hassan: As anticipated for sometime, former Congress Minister A. Manju joined the BJP here on Sunday.

He was welcomed by Hassan BJP MLA Preetham Gowda and other leaders of the party. However, BJP District President H. Yogaramesh was conspicuous by his absence.

He is expected to be party candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha seat, where Prajwal Revanna, son of PWD Minister H.D. Revanna and grandson of JD(S) Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, is contesting on a JD(S) ticket.

It was a home coming for Manju, as he had won Arkalagud Assembly segment on a BJP ticket in 1999. He later joined the Congress and served as a Minister in the Siddharamaiah-led Congress Government. He lost the May 2018 Assembly polls to A.T. Ramaswamy of    the JD(S). After the JD(S) and Congress, the coalition partners in the State Government, decided to fight the LS polls together, Manju had often hinted at quitting the Congress.

He held a series of meetings with his supporters in the district and decided to join the BJP, which he was once associated with.