Shettar, two others take oath as Karnataka Legislative Council members

Three persons, including former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, whose defection from the BJP contributed to the Congress election win in Karnataka, on Monday took oath as a member of the state’s Legislative Council.

The others are Karnataka Minister and Congress national secretary NS Boseraju and party leader Tippannappa Kamaknoor.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil were among who attended the event.

The new MLC members were elected unopposed in the June 30 elections as the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) did not field candidates.

The three MLC seats fell vacant following the resignation of Baburao Chinchansur, R Shankar and Laxman Savadi who fought the assembly elections in May.

While Savadi won the election, Chinchansur and Shankar lost.

May election

In the elections to the 224-member House, the Congress won 135 seats, the BJP 66 and the JD(S) 19.

Shettar headed a BJP government for 10 months in 2012-13. He lost the May elections from Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency on a Congress ticket.

(With agency inputs)