Former CM Jagadish Shettar leaves BJP and joins congress, to contest in party ticket

BENGALURU: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who left the BJP after denied a seat in the elections, has joined the Congress. He reached the Congress office in Karnataka Monday morning and met the leaders. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced Shettar's entry into the party at a press meet held at the KPCC office in Bengaluru at 9 am. He also said that Shettar will contest from Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency representing the Congress.

Shettar left the party after Laxman Savadi, a senior party leader and who has a main influence in the Lingayat section, left the BJP and joined the Congress after failing to get a seat. Congress state president D K Sivakumar, Randeep Surjewala, Siddaramaiah and other senior leaders held a long discussion with Shettar at Mallikarjun Kharge's house after he resigned from the assembly and the party post. There were indications that he also spoke to Rahul Gandhi over the phone.

The BJP central leadership had informed Shettar that they would give Rajya Sabha seat or governor post instead of the assembly seat, but he left the party membership as he was not ready to do so. The fallout of senior leaders has become a major headache for the Karnataka BJP, which is plagued by controversies.