BJP MLA Shivaram Hebbar's son Vivek joins Congress

BJP MLA Arabail Shivaram Hebbar’s son Vivek Hebbar on Thursday joined the Congress party along with his supporters at Banavasi in Uttara Kannada district.

After quitting the BJP, Vivek Hebbar joined the party in the presence of state Congress Vice President and former MLC Ivan D’Souza and other local party leaders.

Speculations have been rife about his father Shivaram Hebbar, an MLA from Yellapur assembly segment, also planning to join the Congress, ever since he did not turn up for voting during the polls to four seats of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka held on February 27.

The senior Hebbar’s absence from voting, despite a party whip, had caused embarrassment to the BJP. He had, however, later attributed his absence to poor health.

The BJP had also issued notice to him, which he responded to. Shivaram Hebbar had recently met Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar, but claimed that the meeting was about water issues in his assembly segment.

The senior BJP leader was earlier with the Congress. He was among 17 Congress-JD(S) legislators, who had quit from their parties, which ultimately led to the collapse of the then H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in July 2019.

Shivaram Hebbar had subsequently won the bypoll on a BJP ticket and served as a minister in the then government of the saffron party.