Bengaluru, April 17 : Former Congress leader CM Ibrahim here on Sunday joined Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) and took charge of the party’s state presidency in presence of senior leaders HD Devegowda and HD Kumaraswamy. Soon after taking over the mantle, he predicted that Congress would come third in the 2023 Assembly elections, after JDS and BJP respectively. “In 1994, the wave was in favour of Deve Gowda. In 2023, it will be in favour of Kumaraswamy. (2023) 2+0+2+3 = 7. This is the best number as far as philosophy is concerned. So in Karnataka, JDS will emerge as the number one party, BJP second and Congress third. In this order the results will come,” he said. In 1994, the then Janata Dal had won the election after Ibrahim defected from Congress to join the party. The victory catapulted Deve Gowda to assume charge as the chief minister. Ibrahim’s anointment as JDS state chief was formalised by handing over the party flag and the letter of appointment at an event organised at the party office. Ibrahim, who is known to be a close aide of Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, had quit Congress and later resigned as MLC a month ago as he was disappointed with the party’s high command for ignoring him and appointed BK Hariprasad as the LOP in Karnataka Council. The development has assumed a political significance as JDS is seeing an opport ty to woo a major chunk of Muslim votes, which the Congress also is eyeing to get. BDN RNJ