Karnataka Election 2023: Jagdish Shettar joins Congress ahead of polls, says 'came without any second thought'
Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar joined Congress today in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge at Congress office in Bengaluru. He held a meeting with Congress leaders on Sunday after resigning from the BJP.
FollowIn a big jolt to Bharatiya Janata Party, Jagadish Shettar, a former chief minister of Karnataka and a prominent BJP figure, officially joined the Congress on Monday at the stately old Bengaluru party headquarters. In the presence of Mallikarjun Kharge, the chairman of the Congress, and DK Shivakumar, he joined the opposition party in Karnataka.
Shettar, who was not given a ticket to run in the elections, submitted his resignation as an MLA on Sunday, shocking the dominant BJP ahead of the May 10 Assembly elections. He received an offer to join the party from the opposition Congress without delay.
After joining Congress, Jagadish Shettar said, "Yesterday, I left BJP and today I joined the Congress party. Many are surprised as an opposition leader, former CM 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."
He said, "I thought being a senior leader, I'll get the ticket, but when I came to know that I'm 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."
The leader further said he wholeheartedly joined Congress. "I was contacted by Congress leaders including DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Randeep Surjewala and MB Patil. When they invited me, I came without any second thought," he added.
The six-time MLA was seeking party’s ticket from his current seat - Hubballi-Dharwad Central - but his demand was turned down. After the BJP's central leadership made it obvious that he would not be accommodated this time, Shettar made his decision. At Sirsi in the Uttara Kannada district, he presented his resignation to Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri.
He served as Karnataka's 15th chief minister from July 2012 to May 2013, and is a well-known Lingayat politician. Shettar, a six-time MLA and former State BJP President, said on Saturday that he will leave the saffron party after three decades of membership. The 67-year-old reaffirmed his commitment to running in the elections.
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