Ramanagara fiasco: We have learnt lessons, says Shettar

Former chief minister Jagadish Shetter said the entire state Unit of the BJP is responsible for the Ramanagara fiasco and the party has learnt a lesson from it.

Speaking to media persons here after launching a special cleanliness drive on Saturday, he said L Chandrashekhar had betrayed the trust the party has reposed on him.

"One individual cannot be held responsible for the issue, as it was the collective decision of the State Unit," he said and that the party failed to identify this pitfall earlier and trusted the party hopper.

Never ever in the history of Karnataka elections has such a thing happened that a candidate switched a party after getting b-form. Both Congress and JDS have stooped to a low level of politics.

"While we will be wary of such candidates in the future elections and I am sure that the coalition partners will also face a similar situation in future."

Shetter did not buy the reason given by Chandrashekhar to hop party. Union minister Sadananda Gowda and thousands of party workers had camped in Ramanagara for his win. He just wanted a reason to jump ship, said Shettar.

The senior party leader, however, expressed confidence that his party would perform better in the other four seats.