Bengaluru, Jan 27 (IANS): Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who re-joined the BJP less than a year after switching to Congress, visited the party headquarters here on Friday, pledging that he will strive to make the saffron party win more seats in Karnataka in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections than the last general elections.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had bagged 25 of 28 seats.

Addressing a press conference, Shettar said that he would take up a state-wide tour.

He said that as per the directions of the party, he would be involved in the party organisation in the state.

"I have returned to the BJP as per the wishes of the party workers... I was being called by the state leadership and national leaders. The seniors in the party have conveyed to me that I am the senior leader and I would be provided a suitable position and status in the party.

"I have re-joined the BJP at the party headquarters in Delhi after submitting my resignation from the membership of the Congress party and also from the post of MLC. I have met Home Minister Amit Shah, national BJP President J.P. Nadda and other leaders. Senior leader B.S. Yediyurappa and Karnataka unit BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra was with me," he said.

Talking about his "home-coming", Shettar said: "This is our house, we have built it. Our family has a close connection with the BJP. I had joined Congress over certain developments ahead of the Assembly elections.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done good work and delivered on governance in the country in the last 10 years. I returned to the BJP with a vision to make him Prime Minister for the third consecutive time, and to fulfil the dreams of crores of people who want India should emerge as an economic power," he said.

Speaking about the newly inaugurated Ram Mandir at Ayodhya city in Uttar Pradesh, the former Karnataka chief minister said: "When Rath Yatra led by veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani arrived at Hubballi, I took the responsibility (for the yatra related programmes). Everyone knows that I took initiative to collect Rs 2 crore funds for the construction of Ram Mandir. The dream of building Ram Mandir has come true under the leadership of PM Modi."

He further said: "I will take everyone into confidence and strengthen the party."