New Delhi, Jan 25 (Reporter) Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar here on Thursday rejoined BJP, giving a major Lingayat filip to the party ahead of Lok Sabha election. He was welcomed by BJP National President JP Nadda in the presence of senior party leaders BS Yediyurappa and Karnataka party chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa at BJP headquarters. "I am rejoining the BJP. Earlier, the party gave me a lot of responsibilities. Because of some other issues, I went to the Indian National Congress Party. After that, in the last 8 to 9 months, there has been a lot of discussion in the BJP. "Karnataka BJP leaders and ground-level workers were egging me to rejoin the BJP. For that purpose, I responded. Our leader Yediyurappa ji, state party president Vijayendra ji, and our national leaders wanted me to rejoin BJP. "For the last 10 years, Narendra Modi ji has done a lot of things to strengthen India/ And in the world, India has become a very powerful country under the leadership of Narendra Modi ji. So to see Narendra Modji become PM once again and make India strong, for that purpose I am rejoining the BJP," he told reporters here. Shettar quit the BJP in April 2023 after being denied a ticket for the assembly election. Subsequently, he joined the Congress and lost the election to Mahesh Tenginkai from Hubballi-Dharwad Central Constituency. Despite this, he was made an MLC by the Congress. "Through an email, I have informed the Karnataka Congress President and requested him to accept his resignation from the primary membership of the Congress. I have also emailed my resignation as MLC to Legislature Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti. I will be meeting them personally to hand over the resignation," Shettar said. Former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi also quit the saffron party along with Shettar last year after being denied a ticket...////...