Madhu Bangarappa, ex-JD(S) leader and son of former Karnataka chief minister S Bangarappa, formally joined the Congress Friday in the presence of the party’s state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar and Congress Legislative Party leader Siddaramaiah. Along with his supporters, the former MLA joined the party in Hubballi and said, “I promise to the Congress leadership that I will try my best to live up to the expectations that they have in me as Bangarappa’s son and work day and night to bring the party back to power.” “I will take up whatever responsibility I’m given and work for the party. My father Bangarappa’s followers are today in various parties, I will try to get them back into the Congress.” In March, Madhu had announced that he would join the party soon after quitting the JD(S), of which he was the working president. “Happy to welcome my political guru S Bangarappa’s son Madhu Bangarappa into our Congress Party today. Our aim is to strengthen the party with focused and like-minded individuals and I am sure Madhu Bangarappa will work towards the same,” D K Shivakumar said after inducting him into the party. Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, asked him to keep up his father’s legacy. “I see Bangarappa’s concern for the people, especially the weaker and backward sections, in Madhu too. I wish him the best,” he added. Surjewala also shared on Twitter: “A New Beginning, A New Start.Yet the same old legacy continues.Our tall leader, late shri S Bangarappa.to our young and dynamic, Madhu Bangarappa! Karnataka Congress is proud to have you! Welcome to the Family!!!” The junior Bangarappa won the Assembly election from Soraba constituency in 2013, but five years later lost to his brother Kumara who represented the BJP in the same constituency. Madhu had also contested the 2018 Lok Sabha bypolls on a JD(S) ticket and lost to the BJP. The former Kannada film actor-producer had earlier been a part of the BJP as well as the Samajwadi Party when his father joined these political outfits. His father Sarekoppa Bangarappa was the chief minister of Karnataka during 1990-92.
