Jagadish Shettar Biography

Jagadish Shettar replaced Sadanand Gowda as the Chief Minister of Karnataka
in July 2012, as several BJP MLAs owing adherence to B.S. Yeddyurappa called for the replacement of D.V. Sadananda Gowda with Shettar.

After much uproar, BJP High Command agreed to make him the Chief Minister and he was sworn in on July 12, 2012. The next elections to the state assembly are due in May 2013 so Shri Jagadish Shettar has tenure of a year.

Jagadish Shettar Background

Jagadish Shivappa Shettar is a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was born on 17th December 1955 in Kerur village, Badami Taluk, Bagalkote district of Karnataka. His parents were Sri S.S Shettar and Smt. Basavanemma. His father was the first Jana Sangh Mayor of Hubli-Dharwad. In educations, he holds B.Com and LLB Degrees. He was a practicing lawyer for 20 years at Hubli Bar. Jagadish married Smt. Shilpa and have two sons, Prashant and Sankalp.

Jagadish Shettar Political Career

Jagadish Shettar started actively participating with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in all its activities before joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as an active member.

In 1990, Jagadish Shettar became the President of Hubli Rural Unit of the BJP and in 1994 he became the Dharwad District Unit President of the party. The same year, he was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for the first time. After this he has been re-elected for four successive terms as Member of the Legislative Assembly from Hubli rural constituency.

In 1996, Jagadish Shettar became the BJP State Secretary and in 1999 he was chosen as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly after BJP got defeated in state elections. In 2005, he was appointed as the State President of the BJP. In 2006, he became the Revenue Minister in the Janata Dal (Secular) BJP alliance government headed by H.D Kumaraswamy.

In 2008, BJP won the Karnataka assembly elections and Jagadish Shettar was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Karnataka legislative assembly. The following year he resigned from his post and became the Minister for Rural development and Panchayat Raj in the cabinet of B.S Yeddyurappa.

In 2011, when B.S. Yeddyurappa gave his resignation, Jagadish Shettar emerged as a major contender for the post of Chief Minister. He was however defeated by D.V. Sadananda Gowda in the election. In July 2012, the BJP High Command made Jagadish Shettar as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Among the most influential leaders of North Karnataka region, Jagadish Shettar has been linked with various reforms such as the Khalasa Banduri project, establishment of south-western railways headquarters in Hubli, Suvarna Vidhana Soudha construction in Belgaum, etc.