Guru Prasad R
SENIOR BJP leader from North Karnataka Shri Jagadish Shettar took oath on July 12 as the 21st CM of Karnataka, while the Karnataka BJP unit president KS Eshwarappa and the former Minister R Ashoka took oath as DCMs. 31 others took oath as Ministers.
A swayamsevak since childhood Shri Jagadish Shettar entered into political arena through ABVP. In 1994, he became the president of BJP, Dharwad district, and took charge as the State BJP president in 2005. He won the first election in 1994 by winning Hubli rural constituency. Again in 1999 he won from the same constituency with a lead of 25000 votes. He retained the same seat in 2004 with a margin of 26000 votes and for a record 4th time he won the seat in 2008 with a margin of 26500 votes.
It is the second time in the history of Karnataka politics that three Chief Ministers have ruled the state within a single term of Governament. Earlier the Congress Government had three Chief Ministers namely Veerendra Patil, S Bangarappa and Veerappa Moily. Now the BJP Government saw three Chief Ministers BS Yeddyurappa, Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar ruling the state.
Jagadish Shettar addressed the first press conference in Vidhana Soudha after swearing in as Chief Minister and said that balanced development of the State is his priority. “I have resolved to make dedicated efforts to build the State with the active support and co-operation of all the legislators and leaders of my party as well as the opposition parties,” he said. He promised that he would honestly strive to continue and implement all these welfare and developmental initiatives with renewed vigor through a harmonious relation and consensus decisions with all his cabinet colleagues, legislators and leaders from the opposition. Shri Shettar expressed his desire to work for the welfare of the drought affected people on a high priority by providing relief to the affected.
Due to the good governance during the last four years, today Karnataka is in the top position among the states of the country in sectors like transport, e-governance, implementation of NREGA, empowerment of Panchayat Raj and rural development he added.
