<p>Former minister and BJP leader S T Somashekhar has described Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as his mentor and guide.</p>.<p>“I owe my career growth to Siddaramaiah. Had he not released grants during my first term as MLA (2013-18) I would not have become MLA again for the second time,” Somashekhar said.</p>.<p>He was speaking at the ground breaking ceremony for Sri Kaginele Mahasansthan Kanaka Gurupeeth in Bengaluru on Sunday. </p>.<p>Somashekhar is one of the 16 MLAs who quit JDS and Congress and joined BJP in 2019 that led to the fall of the Kumaraswamy government and the return of the BJP to power in the state.</p>
<p>Former minister and BJP leader S T Somashekhar has described Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as his mentor and guide.</p>.<p>“I owe my career growth to Siddaramaiah. Had he not released grants during my first term as MLA (2013-18) I would not have become MLA again for the second time,” Somashekhar said.</p>.<p>He was speaking at the ground breaking ceremony for Sri Kaginele Mahasansthan Kanaka Gurupeeth in Bengaluru on Sunday. </p>.<p>Somashekhar is one of the 16 MLAs who quit JDS and Congress and joined BJP in 2019 that led to the fall of the Kumaraswamy government and the return of the BJP to power in the state.</p>