Bengaluru : Speculations ran rife across political circles in Karnataka that Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, the wife of the late Union Minister and BJP leader Ananth Kumar, would jump ship to Congress after she met state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday. 

Karnataka Congress president Shivakumar, following the closed-door meeting, posted a picture with Tejaswini, who is also Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party vice president, on his X handle saying, "discussed state political issues."

Taking to the microblogging site, the senior Congress leader, in Kannada, wrote, "Smt @Tej_AnanthKumar wife of senior BJP leader Dr Ananth Kumar, met me today at Kumara Krupa guest house and discussed state political issues." 

According to sources, however, the two leaders met and held discussions over pending bills of Adamya Chethana, an organisation headed by Tejaswini Anantkumar. 
Adamya Chethana provides food to Indira Canteen and bills are pending regarding which Tejaswini met Shivakumar, requesting the latter to settle the dues, sources added. 

In the last Lok Sabha elections, in 2019, there were rumours that Tejaswini would contest from Bengaluru South constituency. However, she was denied a ticket by the BJP and Tejaswi Surya was pitted from the constituency in the eleventh hour. 

Later, when the state BJP vice president wanted to contest this year's Karnataka Assembly polls, once again the party denied her ticket.

As per sources, after being denied a ticket in the 2019 general elections, Tejaswini was given the post of state BJP vice president, but the wife of the late BJP leader has maintained a distance from party leaders and office for several months.

Two months ago, there were rumours that she would join Congress. However, she clarified this saying that she is not leaving the BJP.

Now, after she met Shivakumar there are speculations that she could be the candidate of Congress from Bengaluru South against BJP's Tejaswi Surya in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in 2024.