Will contest ‘at any cost’, says former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar after BJP denies him ticket

On Tuesday evening, Jagadish Shettar held a press meet where he disclosed that the high command asked him not to contest the elections at the last minute. The six-time MLA has, however, asked the party to reconsider.

Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar. (Source: Twitter)

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With the BJP all set to release its list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections, disappointment within the party has started to surface with former chief minister Jagadish Shettar reportedly being denied a ticket. The six-time MLA has, however, asked the party to reconsider and said that he will contest “at any cost”.

On Tuesday evening, Shettar held a press meet where he disclosed that the high command has asked him at the last minute not to contest the upcoming elections. “I am totally disappointed. I have worked for the party for more than 30 years and have built it. They could have intimated me 2-3 months ago and I would have accepted it. But with a few days before filing the nominations, I have been intimated to not contest. I have already started campaigning in the constituency,” he added.

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“After they asked me not to contest, I have conveyed that I will contest at any cost and have asked them to reconsider. I have asked if there is an anti-incumbency wave or whether there are any allegations. I am confident they will consider my request,” he said.

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Shettar said he received the call from the high command on Tuesday. “The survey of the Assembly constituency has also suggested that the BJP has a winning wave. I don’t have a black mark in politics. I have been loyal to the party and I feel that the loyalty has turned into a problem.” The Hubballi-Dharwad MLA had won in 2018 by garnering 75,794 (51.31%) votes.

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A trusted aide of B S Yediyurappa, Shettar became the chief minister of Karnataka in 2012 when the state BJP was mired in a mining controversy. He had then replaced D V Sadananda Gowda. He was also the leader of opposition in the Karnataka Assembly.

Shettar, whose family has been associated with Jansangh for five decades, has also been working with the RSS. His brother Pradeep Shettar is an MLC, while his uncle Sadashiva Shettar was an MLA from Hubballi constituency. His father S S Shettar was elected as mayor of Hubballi-Dharwad city corporation. Jagadish Shettar and Union minister Pralhad Joshi have had a strong hold over the politics in Hubballi-Dharwad district for nearly two decades.