Who is Jagadish Shettar, Karnataka veteran returning to BJP ahead of LS election

New Delhi: Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who crossed over to Congress party before 2023 State Assembly elections, on Thursday made a return to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fold.

Shettar was welcomed back into the party by party’s veteran leader BS Yeddiyurapp and BJP national president JP Nadda. Yeddiyurappa said his return will ‘add strength to party’ while Shettar called it ‘beginning of new innings in party.’

#WATCH | Former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar returns to BJP, meets the party’s National President JP Nadda in Delhi pic.twitter.com/YHLgECx61d

— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2024

The Lingayat strongman after returning to BJP fold said that he wanted to strengthen the saffron party in state and do his bit for seeing Narendra Modi as Prime Minister again.

“I am rejoining the party with the belief that Narendra Modi ji has to become the Prime Minister once again,” he told newsmen.

Who is Jagadish Shettar?

The 68-year veteran politician in Karnataka is a staunch RSS supporter and hails from powerful Lingayat community, wielding enormous command in swaying the electoral outcome in state.

Shettar had switched allegiance to the grand old party after he was denied an Assembly ticket by the BJP. Notably, the saffron party had strategized to field young leaders and rest the ‘ageing’ ones to gain vantage over Opposition Congress but eventually it suffered a drubbing in the polls.

How tall leader was Shettar, when in BJP?

Jagadish Shettar, a popular leader from state’s influential Lingayat community has been elected as legislator six times in his political life. He has also held many ministerial positions including portfolio of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj during BJP govt.

IN 2012-13, he attained the peak of his political career, as he got elevated as Karnataka Chief Minister. His tenure lasted 10 months.

Starting off his political career in 1980s, he rose through the ranks in party and held positions like Karnataka BJP President and Leader of Opposition in state Assembly.

He was also elected as Speaker of Karnataka Assembly, when BJP registered its first victory in Southern state in 2008.