Jagadish Shettar joins Congress: A brief look at the veteran Karnataka BJP leader's political career

Shettar, who comes from the Lingayat sect, a kingmaker in Karnataka elections, exiting the BJP to join the Congress is seen as a major blow to the BJP in the run up to the May 10 assembly elections given his political stature and his vote appeal among the Lingayat sect.

Bengaluru: “Former BJP CM, Former BJP President, Former Leader of Opposition, Six times MLA, Shri Jagadish Shettar joins the Congress family today...,” was how Congress described veteran Karnataka BJP leader joining the party on Monday ahead of the upcoming assembly election. “Jagdish Shettar, who has been in the BJP for decades but has kept away from BJP's inherent communalism and corruption, joined the Congress today...A New Chapter, A New History, A new Beginning. Karnataka Congress welcomes him. Change is here, Congress is here ,” the Congress said in a separate statement in a bid to put the BJP on the backfoot and have a psychological advantage over the saffron party ahead of the Karnataka assembly election barely a couple of weeks away from now.

Congress's usage of many 'formers' aside, Shettar's exit is seen as a major blow to the BJP in the run up to the May 10 assembly elections given his political stature and his vote appeal among the Lingayat sect, which is seen as a kingmaker in Karnataka elections.

Jagadish Shettar, a born politician: Shettar comes from a political family whose father S.S. Shetta, a Jana Sangh activist was elected five times to the Hubli-Dharwad municipal corporation and became its first Jana Sangh Mayor. Shettar first came into limelight in Karnataka politics after he was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly in 2008 after the BJP's victory in the assembly election that year.

The following year in 2009, he resigned from as the assembly Speaker and was inducted into the B S Yediyurappa cabinet as the Minister for Rural development and Panchayat Raj.

Shettar's dramatic elevation in 2012: A political drama ensued in the Karnataka politics in 2012 when several MLAs called for the replacing of then Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda with Shettar. Faced with a rebellion, the BJP high command agve in to the MLAs' demand and agreed to make Shettar a CM. Shettar was sworn in on 12 July 2012.

2013 assembly election loss: Although the BJP had declared Shettar as its Chief Ministerial candidate, Shettar had to face embarassment as the party lost the election to Congress. Shettar submitted his resignation to the Governor. However, the BJP expressed confidence in Shettar by electing him as the leader of the opposition.

Rift with the BJP high command: Cracks appeared between Shettar and BJP high command after the party denied him a ticket from the Hubbali Dharwad central seat. After joining the Congress on Monday, Shettar said that the BJP had disappointed him by denying him a ticket at the eleventh hour. His exit from the BJP ahead of the assembly election is seen as a blow to the saffron party.