Bengaluru: H Kusuma, wife of late IAS officer D K Ravi, joined the Congress on Sunday. She and her father, who was with the JD(S), were formally inducted into the party by Congress state chief D K Shivakumar.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwara were present on the occasion, party sources said.
Kusuma's entry into the party comes amid speculations that Congress would field her from Rajarajeshwari Nagar (R R Nagar) in the city, which goes for the bypolls on November 3.
The R R Nagar seat fell vacant following the disqualification of N Munirathna, who was then the party legislator, under the anti-defection law.
He is now with the BJP and is looking for a ticket from the saffron party for the bypolls.
R R Nagar, along with the Sira assembly constituency in Tumakuru, will go for the bypolls on November 3.
Shivakumar told reporters that the list of probable candidates would be sent to the high command, which would take the final call.
He urged party workers to work hard to ensure the victory of the party in the election.
Kusuma's father Hanumantharayappa had contested from R R Nagar on a JD(S) ticket earlier and had lost.
The BJP has not yet announced its candidates, but would most likely field Munirathna from R R Nagar.


Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
