Bengaluru: Housing and Mandya District in-charge Minister M Krishnappa surprised the Congress leaders by staying away from AICC President Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Janashirvada Yathre’ in Mandya and Mysuru on Sunday.

According to the sources, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC President G Parameshwar had personally called M Krishnappa and requested him to participate in the events. However, he did not respond positively. Though the CM requested him to participate at least in Mysuru, he neither turned up there.

Meanwhile, there are strong gossips from past few days that Minister Krishnappa and his son Priya Krishna would leave the Congress and join the BJP soon. His absence at the events during Rahul Gandhi’s visit is more supportive of the same. He didn’t participate in the programme organized at Malavalli on Saturday as well.

However, reacting to this, Krishnappa said that he could not participate in the programmes because of a death in the family and that there was no need to attach any other meaning to it.