Prominent Lingayat leader and former Karnataka chief minister and senior BJP politician Jagadish Shettar on Monday joined the Congress party a day after he quit the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 10 May Assembly elections in the State.
The former State BJP president blasted the BJP for “humiliating” him and denying him the opportunity for a “honourable exit,” saying that by joining the Congress, he was starting a “new episode” in his life.
The 67-year-old, six-time MLA, former Speaker, leader of the opposition in the Assembly, and former party president made the choice to leave the BJP because he was not given the opportunity to run for the Hubli-Dharwad (Central) seat, which he had previously represented in the Lower House. The Lingayat leader from north Karnataka region embraced the Congress in the presence of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala (Karnataka in-charge), KPCC President D K Shivakumar and Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The Congress was emboldened by Shettar’s move. “With this, the Lingayats will turn against the BJP and shift towards the Congress”, the party’s Campaign Committee Chairman M B Patil said. After joining the party, Shettar was given a ‘B-form’ by Shivakumar as a Congress candidate from Hubli-Dharwad (Central) Assembly segment for the upcoming polls.
“I’m quitting the BJP and joining the Congress today. Many are surprised as to why a person who was a former CM, twice leader of opposition, and was party president has quit BJP and joined the Congress. There were also attempts to put pressure on me from various places, but no one understood the pain I was going through as a senior leader for the last couple of months,” Shettar said. Speaking to the media after joining the party, he said he was one among those who built and nurtured the BJP in Karnataka along with B S Yediyurappa and late H N Ananth Kumar, especially in the north Karnataka region.
“The BJP gave me all respect and positions, and in return I too worked as a committed and loyal worker to organise and build the party, and have honestly fulfilled the responsibilities I was given,” he added. Noting that he has won Assembly polls six times continuously since 1994 with huge margins, Shettar said as a senior leader he naturally expected to be given a ticket, but when denied “was shocked and pained.” “I was not treated the way a senior leader should be treated. They should have told me in advance that they will require my service at the central level or will give me other responsibilities and not to contest the polls. Instead, at the last moment on 11 April ahead of the nominations, I was told by BJP state in-charge- like it is told to small boy- that me and K S Eshwarappa will not get ticket and that we should send a consent letter and hold a press conference in this regard,” he said. Alleging that he had been humiliated by the BJP which denied him a chance to contest, Shettar said after consulting all his well-wishers and supporters, he decided to quit the party and contest the forthcoming Assembly elections.
