Bengaluru, Oct 23 (Reporter) In a notable political shift, CP Yogeshwara, a key leader of the BJP, has officially joined the Indian National Congress after resigning from his position as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC). "I have joined the Congress party without any conditions," he announced during a press conference at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office on Wednesday. This move aligns with his strategic goal of securing a ticket for the upcoming byelection in the Channapatna Assembly constituency, scheduled for November 13. Minister Ramalinga Reddy commented, "Yogeshwara's joining the Congress has strengthened the party ahead of the byelection." Yogeshwara submitted his resignation earlier to Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti in Hubballi, marking a pivotal moment in his political career. Following his resignation, he met with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to discuss his future within the Congress party. The byelection was necessitated after the previous representative, HD Kumaraswamy, was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Mandya parliamentary segment. Alongside Channapatna, the upcoming by-elections will also include contests in the Sandur and Shiggaon Assembly segments. The last date for filing nominations is October 25, with the final date for withdrawal set for October 30. Yogeshwara's transition comes after discussions concerning the Channapatna seat, which the BJP has ceded to its coalition partner JDS. He had previously sought to contest the by-election as a BJP candidate, but disagreements with JDS leadership regarding ticket allocation led to his departure from the party. As Yogeshwara prepares for his new role within Congress, political observers are closely monitoring the potential impact of this transition on Karnataka's electoral landscape...////...