Former CM Jagadish Shettar unanimously elected to Karnataka LC

Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar was elected as the Member of Legislative Council (MLC) unanimously on Friday. Along with Shettar, state minister N.S. Boseraju and senior Congress leader Tippannappa Kamakanur were also elected to the council.

Friday was the last day for taking back nominations by the candidates. The BJP did not field any candidate and only Congress candidates were in the fray. The nomination by Padmarajan as an Independent candidate was rejected.

The three posts in the council fell vacant due to the resignation of former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, Baburao Chinchanasur and R. Shankar. All three were nominated by BJP back then. Savadi joined the Congress and is an MLA from Athani constituency now.

The development is seen as the comeback of Shettar, who lost the recent Assembly elections from Hubballi-Dharwad Central contesting on a Congress ticket after jumping ship from the BJP. However, Shettar`s move of joining the Congress ahead of the elections proved beneficial for the party to dent the Lingayat vote-bank of the BJP.