Shettar quits, could join cabinet today

In a move aimed at quelling dissidence within the Karnataka’s BJP unit, speaker Jagadish Shettar could be inducted into the B.S. Yeddyurappa cabinet. Salil Mekaad reports.

In a move aimed at quelling dissidence within the Karnataka’s BJP unit, speaker Jagadish Shettar could be inducted into the B.S. Yeddyurappa cabinet on Tuesday.

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Shettar resigned on Monday.

With this, he became the third speaker of Karnataka assembly to resign mid-term after P. Venkataramana (1978-80) and S.M. Krishna (1989-92).

His induction into the ministry is part of a formula the BJP had arrived at to blunt the campaign launched against Yeddyurappa by party MLAs, led by Tourism and Infrastructure Development Minister G. Janardhana Reddy and his brother G. Karunakara Reddy.

Janardhana Reddy accompanied Shettar as he tendered his resignation to Deputy Speaker K.G. Bopaiah.

Shettar reluctantly took over as Speaker after he was denied a ministerial berth in May 2008.

A coordination committee to be formed during a BJP legislative party meeting on November 18, could decide on his portfolio.