Bangalore:
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar was unanimously elected leader of the legislature party of BJP on Tuesday, which suffered an ignominious defeat in the recent state Assembly polls losing power to Congress.
BJP had projected Mr Shettar as its chief ministerial candidate in the elections keeping an eye on the Lingayat community vote base but it was dented by former party strongman B S Yeddyurappa, also from the same caste.
Former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka was chosen the deputy leader, state BJP spokesman Ayanur Manjunath told reporters after a meeting of the BJP Legislature party, preceded by a meeting of MLCs and MPs to take stock of the electoral performance.
In the Legislative Council, former Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda is the leader and KB Shanappa his deputy, Mr Manjunath said.
He said Congress had "fired from the shoulders" of Mr Yeddyurappa against BJP. Mr Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janatha Paksha had split the votes garnering about 10 per cent.
Mr Manjunath said Mr Yeddyurappa's single goal of "finishing" BJP showed "bankruptcy" of his political thinking.
He said new Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had shown his "hasty tendency" by announcing a bonanza of schemes costing Rs 4,409 crore when the ministry had not been constituted. "It would amount to a decision of an individual, not of the cabinet", he said.