BENGALURU: Former minister R Shankar, who filed his nomination for the MLC election on a BJP ticket on Thursday, could be looking at becoming minister for the third time in two years. Shankar was lone MLA from the Karnataka Praja Janata Paksha after defeating then Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad of the Congress in Ranebennur constituency.
In 2018, when Yediyurappa was preparing to take oath as CM, Shankar was seen at Yediyurappa’s residence, announcing his support to him. But that very evening, he was also at the KPCC office, extending his support to the Congress-JDS coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy. During the bypolls, the BJP gave a ticket to Arunkumar Pujar from Ranebennur and Yediyurappa assured him that he would be given an MLC ticket, and induct him into the ministry.