Former BJP union Minister Taradevi Siddartha, former Kannada Paksha MP S B Sidnal and former Janata Parivar Karnataka Assembly Legislator Jayaprakash Hegde on Tuesday joined the Congress in the presence of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Mallikarjun Kharge.

Speaking to newspersons, Kharge said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has approved their induction into the party.

Stating that they would be formally admitted into the party fold in a day or two, he said ''their admission was without any conditions''. Kharge alleged that Monday's Dalit convention by the BJP in Chitradurga was nothing but an eye on the forthcoming elections and another ''gimmick'' to woo Dalit voters.

''BJP, basically an anti-poor and anti-Dalit party, having strong faith in 'hierarchical caste system' is now trying to shed tears for them'', he also charged.