Hubballi: Santosh Lad, the two-time MLA from Kalaghatagi Assembly Constituency representing Kshatriya Maratha community has joined CM Siddaramaiah’s team once again after a gap of two years. He was earlier forced to resign over illegal mining charges.

Santhosh Lad stepped down from the post after a six-month stint as a Minister following allegations of his firm being involved in illegal mining. After resignation, he was not seen much in Kalaghatagi constituency. He returned to his constituency during the Parliamentary election and subsequently during the MLC and Zilla Panchayat elections. His absence had been more conspicuous than his presence in his constituency.

Santhosh Lad who hails from a mining family in Ballari, began his political career as a member of Sandur Town Panchayat in 2008. Initially suffering few debacles, he won on JD(S) ticket in 2003. He joined the Congress party in 2007 and won comfortably in 2008 from Kalaghatagi Assembly Constituency. He won with a huge margin in the 2013 elections and was inducted as a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government then.

Following his resignation, the Kshatriya Maratha community members had appealed Siddaramaiah to give their community representation in the State cabinet. However, Lad once again being inducted into the ministry, the demands of the community have been fulfilled.