Former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar returns to BJP, had joined Congress last year

Shettar had joined the Congress party in April 2023 after he was overlooked for the Hubbali Dharwad Assembly segment by the BJP. Speaking to The Indian Express at the time, Shettar had said that his “self respect was hurt”. “My seniority was ignored and the way the BJP leadership behaved while denying me a ticket was not acceptable. I have been elected six times here (from Hubballi)…” he had said.

Shettar went on to lose the seat to Mahesh Tenginakai of the BJP by 34,289 votes, failing to make it to the Assembly for the first time since 1994.

He is a prominent Lingayat face in Karnataka and a six-time MLA, who served as the 15th chief minister of the state from 2012 to 2013. Shettar also served as the Leader of the Opposition when Siddaramaiah was last in power from 2014 to 2018.

He began his political journey as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

On Wednesday, while speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Congress leader and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had alleged that the BJP’s attempts to bring Shettar into its fold was a “tell-tale sign of weakness in the party.”

“They don’t have candidates for the upcoming general elections,” he had said.