Karnataka BJP leader Jagadish Shettar joins Congress

Shubhadeep Choudhury                                                                                

New Delhi, April 17

Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar joined the Congress on Monday morning at Bengaluru.

He was welcomed by the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC in-charge of the party’s Karnataka unit Randeep S Surejewala, CLP leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shivakumar.

“A New Chapter, A New History, A new Beginning….Former BJP CM, Former BJP President, Former Leader of Opposition, Six times MLA, Sh. Jagadish Shettar joins the Congress family today. @INCKarnataka welcomes him. CHANGE IS HERE! CONGRESS IS HERE!”, Randeep S Surjewala tweeted announcing the news of Shettar joining the Congress party.

Shettar is likely to get the Congress ticket from Hubballi-Dharwad central constituency. A six-time MLA, Shettar served as CM of Karnataka (July 2012-May 2013) after there was demand from the state’s strong Lingayat community to replace the incumbent CM Sadananda Gowda who is from the Vokkaliga caste.

BS Yediurappa, by all accounts the tallest Lingayat BJP leader in the state, had to resign from the CM’s post sometime back owing to corruption charges against him and he had nominated Sadananda Gowda to replace him. Before Gowda could complete the first year of his tenure as chief minister, Yediurappa got him to resign and Shettar, a Lingayat, was installed as CM. 

Shettar, who also remained BJP’s state president, was denied a ticket by the BJP this time for the assembly polls. An upset Shettar slammed the BJP and alleged that the party had humiliated and ill-treated him.  “I was humiliated and badly treated by BJP leaders. Some of the leaders in the state are misusing the BJP and it hurts,” he said.

Karnataka CM Basavraj Bommai admitted that Shettar’s exit from the party would have an impact. “Jagadish Shettar is a senior leader and his leaving the party will leave an impact. He was offered a key position in New Delhi and an assembly ticket was offered to one of his family members. But Shettar was adamant about contesting the assembly elections and declined the offers,” he said.

Yediyurappa said he would personally campaign against Shettar and ensure his defeat. “The Lingayat community will always be with the BJP,” he said.

Laxman Savadi, another Lingayat leader of the BJP who was deputy chief minister, also joined the Congress recently. Savadi has given ticket by the Congress to contest from Athani constituency.