Bengaluru, Oct 23: Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday said party leader C P Yogeeshwara joining Congress ahead of November 13 Assembly by-polls was "not unexpected", and JD(S) has to decide on the candidate for Channapatna.

He said BJP and JD(S) will work together unitedly and ensure the NDA candidate wins in Channapatna.

In a dramatic development, Yogeeshwara on Wednesday quit his party and joined the Congress, which is now expected to field him as candidate from Channapatna.

"Today's developments were not unexpected, it was expected. Yogeeshwara has special contacts in all the parties, so he had made a political decision. I wish him the best. I along with other BJP leaders will discuss with JD(S) leaders led by H D Kumaraswamy, JD(S) will have to decide who is the candidate from Channapatna," Vijayendra said.

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Speaking to reporters here, he said, whoever the JD(S) decides, both parties will face the bypolls together, and the BJP will put all its might to ensure the NDA candidate wins, and "I'm confident we will be successful."

"Yogeeshwara quitting the party will not have any impact on the party organisation....whether he is leader in the Old Mysuru region, I don't want to discuss....our goal is to strengthen the BJP's organisation in the Old Mysuru region, we will do it. There is no need to be in an illusion that we were dependent on Yogeeshwar for it. We have a strong team of workers," he added.

Channapatna will go for by-polls along with Sandur and Shiggaon segments. The last date for filing nominations is October 25, and the final date for withdrawal of papers is October 30.

Channapatna bypoll is necessitated as the seat fell vacant following the election of Kumaraswamy to Lok Sabha from Mandya.

With BJP ceding Channapatana seat to its NDA partner JD(S), Yogeeshwara, the actor-turned-politician, had appealed to leaders of the alliance to consider giving him a ticket from the saffron party. He had also said he had plans to contest as an independent if he didn't get the ticket.

There were plans to field Yogeeshwara on a JD(S) ticket, but he was not interested in it, sources said. "Instead, he wanted Kumaraswamy to support him as BJP candidate, which was not acceptable to the latter and his party," JD(S) sources said.

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Bengaluru, Oct 23: Seven more bodies were recovered during search and rescue operation after an under-construction building collapsed at Babusapalya here, taking the death toll to eight, police said on Wednesday.

Teams from the fire and emergency department, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been pressed into rescue operations since the incident occurred during heavy downpour on Tuesday.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the incident, they said.

"Muniraja Reddy under whose name the building was being constructed, his son Bhuvan and the contractor Muniyappa who was building it have been arrested in connection with the incident," a senior police official said.

"Permission was only for construction of a four-storey building but seven floors were being constructed," he said.

One body was recovered by the rescue team on Tuesday.

"Seven more bodies have been recovered and six workers were injured."

Those killed in the incident hailed from Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Search operation is underway to trace two more people who have been reported missing since the incident and are suspected to be trapped under the rubble, the official said.

Thirteen workers have been rescued so far, he said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Executive Engineer Vinay K has been suspended by the city's civic body BBMP in connection with the incident with immediate effect for serious dereliction of duty, officials said.

Lokayukta Justice B S Patil, who visited the spot, termed it as an "unfortunate incident" and assured that all necessary actions will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen.

"It is an unfortunate incident. Eight innocents have lost their lives. There is suspicion that two more people are still trapped. Who is responsible for it? Why it happened? Who is at fault?. We have registered a suo moto case. We have come here for inspection," he told reporters here.

He said that the inspection revealed that there was no license. When such a big building was coming up, there was no sanctioned plan nor license. The building was being constructed illegally.

"It is said that the building was being constructed for the last two years. Still the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) officials have not tried to stop it. We have to come to know prima facie that no notice was served when the construction was on from foundation to the fourth floor," he said.

Patil said buildings should not be constructed illegally and that the constructions have to be done with proper license. The officials should not remain silent when unauthorised constructions are underway and then issue notice after they are completed.

"We have inquired assistant executive engineer , zonal commissioner and joint commissioner and prima facie, we have come to know that there is lapse on part of officials, they will be served notice and they will be summoned. Such a tragic incident should be an eye opener for Bengalureans," he said.

"If the constructions are stopped, the question of demolition will not arise. Such incidents should not happen again and we will take all necessary actions," he added.

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