Bengaluru: Former Union Minister and BJP leader V. Dhananjaya Kumar joined the Congress on Thursday.

Kumar, 66, a loyalist of former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, met AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi during the latter’s visit to Bengaluru, a few days ago, and expressed willingness to join the party.

He joined the Congress in the presence of KPCC president G. Parameshwara and working president Dinesh Gundu Rao at the party office here.

Kumar began his political career in the youth wing of the BJP and later went on to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly in 1983. In 1991, he was elected to the 10th Lok Sabha by defeating Congress stalwart B. Janardhana Poojary in Mangaluru constituency.

With the rise of the BJP in the State, Kumar represented the Mangaluru constituency in the Lok Sabha for four successive terms and served as the Union Minister. He was Cabinet minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism in 1996, Union Minister of State for Finance from 1999-2000 and Union Minister of State for Textiles from 2000-2003.

The BJP’s central leadership was angered by Kumar’s criticisms against leaders such L.K. Advani and expelled him on the grounds that he was indulging in “anti-party activities”.

He quit the BJP along with Yeddyurappa, when the latter floated the Karnataka Janata Paksha in 2012.

Later, on the eve of Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Yeddyurappa joined the BJP. Later, Kumar joined the Janata Dal (S).