New Delhi: Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly election, BJP got a big blow as veteran party leader has joined hands with Congress party. Yesterday, Jagdish Shettar, former Karnataka Chief Minister quit the party.
Shettar, after resigning from the post of MLA and the BJP’s principal membership, has joined BJP’s biggest rival-the Congress party.
Yesterday, Shettar met Congress’s top brass. Shettar flew from Hubballi to Bengaluru on Sunday in a special helicopter and held discussions with veteran Congress leaders.
After joining the party, Shettar said, “Yesterday I left BJP and today I joined the Congress party. Many are surprised as an opposition leader, former chief minister and party president is joining Congress. BJP has given me every position and being a party worker I always worked for the party’s growth.”
” I was among those who organised and worked for the growth of the (BJP) party. Yes BJP gave me respect and position. I won as an MLA six times and I I thought I would be naturally fielded for the seventh time,” he said
“I thought being a senior leader, I will get 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, not even gave assurance about what position will I get,” he stated.
“On April 11the party incharge said I had not been given a ticket. He spoke to me like speaking to a child. What should I do? I got a call in the morning and I was spoken to like I am a first time MLA or aspirant. I’m hurt. I was treated badly, ” Shettar said.Shettar further said, “I was contacted by DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Surjewala and MB Patil. When they invited me I came without any other option. I am joining Congress wholeheartedly.”
Karnataka State Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka state assembly Siddaramaiah, and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar met Shettar in Bengaluru.
Welcoming Shettar in Congress party, Randeep Singh Surjewala wrote, “A New Chapter, A New History, A new Beginning…. Former BJP CM, Former BJP President, Former Leader of Opoosition, Six times MLA, Sh. Jagadish Shettar joins the Congress family today”.
Karnataka’s Leader of Opposition in State Assembly Siddaramaiah said that despite coming from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Shettar is a ‘secular’ person.
Yesterday, Surjewala wrote that Shettar was humiliated and BJP has crumbled like a house of cards.
“Humiliate, Insult, Throw away! This is how Modi-Bommai disgrace… A Former Chief Minister, A Leader of Opposition, A six times BJP MLA, A Senior Most BJP Lingayat Leader! BJP’s CHAL, CHEHRA & CHARITRA! BJP has crumbled like a House of Cards,” Surjewala wrote.
Shettar’s resignation came after he was denied a ticket in the upcoming Karnataka elections in 2023.
Defending the BJP, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated that tickets are being denied to some candidates as opportunities are being given to the young generation.
Reacting to Bommai’s remark, Shettar wrote, “told ANI, “Why was ticket given to people over 70 years of age? Tripa Reddy is 76, Dipesh Swami is 76, and Karjor and so many others are 72. But I am 67 years old only. Why was I replaced and not them?”
“I only wanted MLA ticket under the leadership of Yediyurappa and Anant Kumar,” he added.
Shettar was the leader of the opposition when Congress was in power in the state.
The Lingayat leader alleged there was a systematic conspiracy against him and added that he was never an indurate person but the party forced him to become one.
The six-time MLA made the announcement soon after he met with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, and Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Dharmendra Pradhan failed. The trio reached his house on Saturday night after he rebelled against the BJP’s decision not to field him from the Hubli-Dharwad central constituency. According to Shettar, the party’s high command had asked him not to contest the assembly election to make way for young people. However, he said he will contest the election come what may.
Shettar has said that if he is denied a ticket then it will have a bearing on 20 to 25 assembly seats in north Karnataka, apart from the state.
The Karnataka assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13.
Agencies

Press Trust of India