Byndoor: Sukumar Shetty, the former MLA of Byndoor and a prominent BJP leader, has announced his intention to switch his political allegiance to the Congress party. This decision comes after he expressed his dissatisfaction when the BJP denied him a ticket to contest in the Legislative Assembly election.

Speaking from his residence in Vandse near Kundapura, Shetty revealed that he recently met with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in Bengaluru, along with Congress leaders K Gopal Poojary and Sringeri MLA D Raje Gowda, to discuss his forthcoming move.

Shetty voiced his concerns about the BJP's political prospects, stating, “I believe the BJP lacks a promising future. While there may be a surge of support for the BJP in coastal districts, it has notably diminished in other regions of Karnataka. Furthermore, the BJP has yet to designate a leader of the Opposition.”