<p>Minister of Municipal Administration M T B Nagaraj on Saturday triggered a speculation by his statement that his decision to desert a political party was a mistake.</p>.<p>“My first mistake in political life was to desert a party to join another,” he said at a function here.</p>.<p>“I am not in politics to earn money. I am transparent. It was my mistake to quit one party to join another. I am realising my folly now. It was MLA S N Subba Reddy who made me quit the party,” he said.</p>.<p>Nagaraj’s statement assumes significance in the wake of rumours that some of the ‘migrant ministers’ in the Basavaraj Bommai Cabinet would soon quit the BJP. </p>.<p>Nagaraj, who the Housing Minister in H D Kumaraswamy led JD(S)-Congress coalition government, had won on a Congress ticket from Hoskote segment in the May 2018 Assembly polls. In July 2019, he resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP a few months later. He fought the bypoll from the BJP, but lost by a margin of 11,486 votes to Independent candidate Sharath Bache Gowda. However, he was elected to the Legislative Council in 2020 and then was inducted into the Cabinet.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>
<p>Minister of Municipal Administration M T B Nagaraj on Saturday triggered a speculation by his statement that his decision to desert a political party was a mistake.</p>.<p>“My first mistake in political life was to desert a party to join another,” he said at a function here.</p>.<p>“I am not in politics to earn money. I am transparent. It was my mistake to quit one party to join another. I am realising my folly now. It was MLA S N Subba Reddy who made me quit the party,” he said.</p>.<p>Nagaraj’s statement assumes significance in the wake of rumours that some of the ‘migrant ministers’ in the Basavaraj Bommai Cabinet would soon quit the BJP. </p>.<p>Nagaraj, who the Housing Minister in H D Kumaraswamy led JD(S)-Congress coalition government, had won on a Congress ticket from Hoskote segment in the May 2018 Assembly polls. In July 2019, he resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP a few months later. He fought the bypoll from the BJP, but lost by a margin of 11,486 votes to Independent candidate Sharath Bache Gowda. However, he was elected to the Legislative Council in 2020 and then was inducted into the Cabinet.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>