Karnataka: Congress fields Jagadish Shettar, two others for MLC elections

The ruling Congress in Karnataka on Monday (June 19) fielded Lingayat strongman and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and state minister and Congress national secretary N S Boseraju along with Tippannappa Kamaknoor for the June 30 MLC election in the state.

The three MLC seats fell vacant owing to the resignation by Baburao Chinchansur, R Shankar and Laxman Savadi, who fought the Assembly elections. While Savadi won the election, Chinchansur and Shankar lost. The three new MLCs will be elected by the Karnataka MLAs.

Also read: Karnataka polls: BJP turncoat Jagadish Shettar blames ‘money power’ for loss

Shettar quit the BJP in the run up to the Karnataka Assembly elections earlier this year after the party refused him a ticket. He fought the elections from the Hubli-Dharwad constituency on a Congress ticket. While he lost the elections, his influence as a Lingayat in north Karnataka helped the Congress consolidate its position in the region.

The Federal recently reported that the Congress is mulling to reward Shettar for decimating the BJP in its fortress and clinching a win for the Grand Old Party.

Also read: Karnataka polls; Will 73-year-old Modi retire from politics, asks Shettar

Shettar, who lost to BJP’s Mahesh Tenginakai by 34,289 votes, had blamed his election rout to “money power and pressure tactics” by the BJP.

He also claimed that his switchover to the Congress helped the party win 20 to 25 seats.

Shettar headed the BJP government as chief minister for 10 months from July 12, 2012 to May 2013. He also served as the Leader of Opposition and Assembly Speaker.

Also read: Karnataka polls: Shettar’s jibe at Tenginkai; ‘he is not my disciple, his guru in Delhi’

(With inputs from agencies)