In August last year, he lost the contest for Chief Ministership to D V Sadananda Gowda, hand-picked by B S Yeddyurappa, who had to resign after being indicted by a Lokayukta report on illegal mining.
Eleven months later, he was the choice of the Yeddyurappa faction which was hell-bent on dislodging Gowda, whose relation with the Karnataka BJP strongman had soured, particularly in the last four months after he chose to come out of his grip.
Shettar, propped by senior party leader H N Ananth Kumar and state BJP president K S Eshwarappa last year, had taken the reverse at the time sportively likening it to a semi-final cricket match and said age was on his side.
Today, it was proved right. He will however have a short tenure. Assembly polls in Karnataka are due in May next year and there are also talks in sections of state BJP of opting for early elections, likely in December along with Gujarat.
His task appears cut out now. The ruling faction-ridden BJP has got to put its house in order and do so quickly, as infighting and acrimonious tussle on the leadership issue has dented its public image in no small measure. (MORE)
