Former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar credits Vijayendra for return to BJP

Former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar established himself firmly in the BJP's Yediyurappa camp on Friday, crediting state party president BY Vijayendra's leadership for his return to the party.

The party has been made better under the new leadership, he said. "This is our home - the house we built and raised. Our family is close to the BJP... Modi's 10-year rule of the country has done a good job. It is the desire of all of us, hundreds of crores of people of India, that he should become the Prime Minister again and that our country should emerge economically stronger," he said.

The veteran Lingayat leader, who had defected to the Congress less than a year ago, rejoined the party on Thursday. While his return to the party fold had been widely speculated for months, it was nonetheless a harsh blow for the ruling Congress, which had given him a ticket from his constituency Hubli-Dharwad and had made him an MLC after he lost the seat to the BJP's Mahesh Tenginakai in the polls.


Shettar is now tipped to get a BJP ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls, and analysts say he may even join the Union cabinet.