Once a rebel, Former minister Goolihatti Shekar joins BJP

www.mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru Feb 4 2018 (DHNS): Former Hosadurga MLA Goolihatti Shekar, who had once rebelled against the then chief minister and the present state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, joined the saffron fold in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Yeddyurappa himself inducted Shekar into the party. In 2008, Shekar won from the Hosadurga Assembly constituency in Chitradurga district as an independent. The BJP, which fell short of the magic 113-mark to form the government, took the support of Shekar and four other independents.

Shekar was made minister of Sports in the Yeddyurappa Cabinet. However in 2010, Shekar along with 15 MLAs, rebelled against Yeddyurappa stating they were withdrawing support to the government.

All hell broke loose in the Assembly following the Speaker’s decision to disqualify that all the rebels.

Television cameras had caught Shekar tearing his own shirt.

Speaking soon after his induction, Shekar said he wanted to forget the past and start afresh. Shekar said he was joining the BJP impressed by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yeddyurappa.