Miffed Over Being Side-lined By BJP For Karnataka Assembly Elections, Jagadish Shettar Joins Congress

Miffed after being dropped by BJP as candidate for upcoming Karnataka Assembly election, the state former chief minister Jagadish Shettar joined Congress on Monday.

It has been raining resignations in the state BJP unit after many veterans didn’t feature in the party’s candidates list for the upcoming assembly elections.

Shettar, a prominent Lingayat leader, resigned as an MLA and quit the BJP on Sunday. 

According to the report in NDTV, Shettar met senior Congress leaders late last night, after he travelling from Hubballi to Bengaluru in a special chopper.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, the party's Karnataka chief DK Shivakumar and veteran leader Siddaraimah were present in the meeting in Bengaluru, the report said.

"I thought being a senior leader, BJP will give me the ticket, but when I came to know that I am not getting it, I was shocked. No one spoke to me nor tried to convince me," the report quoted Shettar as having said.

"I was forcefully thrown out of the party that I built. I am joining the Congress by accepting its ideology and principles," the report quoted Shettar as having said.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the report said called Shettar a "non-controversial" person and said that his induction will boost the enthusiasm of the party.

"I do not need to give more introduction about Jagadish Shettar. He is the person who not only wins alone, he is a person who is capable to win more seats," the report quoted Kharge as having said.

Shettar has been aghast with BJP after he was reportedly asked by the party to not contest from his Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency.
Shetter during a presser recently had said that he was asked by a senior party leader from Delhi to pave way for youngsters, which he said was not acceptable to him.

"I am not the kind of person who is adamant and stubborn, but this time I am being stubborn because the party has humiliated me," he had said.

BJP leader BS Yediyurappa while hitting out at Shettar had said several options were given to him and the party had not asked him to retire from politics.

"He was given several options including a ticket being promised to a family member. The party also offered him to make a Rajya Sabha member and a Union Minister," he had said.

BJP has released two lists of candidates for the assembly election to be held next month, but 12 more candidates - including one for the Hubballi-Dharwad seat - are yet to be announced for the 224-member assembly.

Shettar has won six elections in the past. 

Senior leader Laxman Savadi had also quit the BJP and joined Congress last week. Laxman Savadi was also a loyalist of Yediyurappa and a powerful Lingayat leader.

The elections for Karnataka assembly are scheduled for May 10, while the results would be declared on May 13.