A day after he resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for being denied a ticket to contest the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Monday joined the Congress in the presence of senior leaders of the Opposition party.
Shettar was inducted into the party in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, KPCC president DK Shivakumar and party leaders Randeep Surjewala, and former CM Siddaramaiah at the party office in Bengaluru.
Shettar’s decision to leave the saffron party came after the BJP’s central leadership clarified that he would not be accommodated in ticket distribution this time.
Shettar, former state BJP President and a six-time MLA, also submitted his resignation as a legislator to the Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri at Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district.
On Saturday, the 67-year-old leader said he would resign as an MLA and also part ways with the saffron party after a three-decade-long association. He further reiterated that he was firm on his decision to contest the May 10 elections.