Bengaluru: Putting an end to all the speculations, Jayaprakash Hegde, who broke his ties with the Congress sometime ago has joined the BJP on Wednesday, March 8 in Bengaluru in presence of top BJP leaders like B S Yeddyurappa, R Ashok, Jagadish Shettar among others.

The rumours of Hegde joining the BJP had been making rounds for a long time.

Hegde, who has been considered as a gentleman politician made a mark for himself in the political arena as an independent candidate and then as a Janata Dal leader. He then joined the Congress, but was expelled after he went against the party to contest Legislative Council polls in 2015.

The talks in the BJP corridors of Hegde getting a ticket for the upcoming Assembly polls.

With Hegde joining the BJP, it is said that several of his supporters too will shift to the BJP during a convention to be held in Udupi on March 18.

Born in Korgi, Kundapura, Jayaprakash Hegde is a practicing advocate who started his political journey in 1994. He has been elected thrice to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Brahmavar constituency and served as Minister holding various portfolios.

In 2009 by-elections for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency, Hegde contested on Congress ticket and tasted defeat, but he later got elected to the Lok Sabha from the same constituency in 2012 by-elections.