Jagadish Shettar quits BJP, joins Congress in poll-bound Karnataka

Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Monday joined the Congress, dealing a blow to the ruling party ahead of the May 10 Assembly elections.

Lashing out at the BJP for "humiliating" him and not giving him a chance for an "honourable exit", the former State BJP president said he was beginning a "new episode" in his life by joining the Congress.

The decision to part ways with the BJP came after the 67-year old six time MLA, a former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, ex-Speaker and a party president in the past, was denied ticket to contest from the Hubli-Dharwad (Central) segment, which he represented in the outgoing 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.

Last week, former Deputy Chief Minister and another Lingayat leader Laxman Savadi quit the BJP after being overlooked for the Athani seat and joined the Congress. 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.

Shettar, who resigned as MLA on Sunday, was asked by the BJP top brass to make way for others as part of the party's strategy to groom the next generation of leaders but he was firm on contesting.

"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 reporters 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 April 11 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 (senior leader) 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.

"By then M B Patil, Surjewala, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar contacted me, asking me to join the Congress...I was forcefully thrown out of the party that I built, there were no options before me. So I'm joining the Congress by accepting its ideology and principles, whole-heartedly," he said.

On his arrival in Bengaluru from Hubballi on Sunday, Shettar had held discussions with Congress leaders Surjewala, Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Patil and veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Shettar's relative).

Shettar said he, along with others built the BJP with a slogan that 'party is important not the person', but the party today in Karnataka is in the "control" of a very few people.

He further said he won't criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national President J P Nadda. "Probably they are not aware of developments here." "I did not want any power, I did not come to politics for the sake of power. My family has been associated since Jan Sangh days, since 1967 my uncle Sadashiva Shetty was an MLA. My father was a five-time Hubli-Dharwad Corporation councillor and the first Jan Sangh Mayor in South India in 1976. I have come from Sangh Parivar background and worked in RSS and Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad," he said.

Despite him voluntarily stating that he did not want to become a Minister in the Bommai government, while giving all cooperation, the way he was "ill treated" shows the party had decided that they don't want Jagadish Shettar anymore, he said. Without naming anyone, he said, "Yediyurappa has retired from electoral politics, and after him in seniority and from the Lingayat community- I'm the next senior leader, so they might have feared I may emerge as a leader or as competition." "Finally, I said I don't want any power for myself or my family. I said I will contest and function as an MLA for just six months and resign thereafter and quit politics, as it is a question of my self-esteem, but was denied that too. So imagine what I have gone through," he said, as he specially thanked the people of Lingayat community and people of Hubballi-Dharwad for the support they have shown.

The decision of Shettar, a prominent Lingayat leader from north Karnataka, may adversely impact the BJP's prospects in a number of segments in the region, according to political observers.

Shettar, a veteran BJP leader whose family has been associated with the party since Jana Sangh days, is an influential leader from its bastion- the Kittur Karnataka region.

Welcoming Shettar to the Congress, Kharge said he is joining the party accepting its ideology and to protect his self-respect. Despite being from the RSS and Jana Sangh, he did not court controversies.

He also expressed confidence that he will be helpful in nurturing and giving strength to the Congress. "Along with winning his constituency he will ensure the party wins all the neighbouring constituencies. His joining will give strength to the Congress in the North Karnataka region", Kharge said.

Kharge also recalled him and Shettar functioning in the Assembly being in opposition parties, and said, "he was always polite by nature." "I'm confident that the Congress will be successful in achieving Rahul Gandhi's target of getting more than 150 seats in the Assembly polls. With Shettar joining the party it has instilled more confidence in me," he added.

Siddaramaiah said Shettar is a gentleman politician and despite coming from the RSS, he has always functioned in a "secular manner." Recalling that when Shettar was the Chief Minister, he was Leader of the Opposition, and when he became Chief Minister, Shettar was the opposition leader, he said, "Shettar is a politician with self-respect and to protect that (self-respect) he has quit BJP and joined Congress...I can assure him that we will treat him with respect." BJP has humiliated its tallest Lingayat leaders like Yediyurappa and Jagadish Shettar, he alleged and said "because of Shettar joining the Congress, the party has got more strength and will win the elections." Shivakumar said Shettar has worked in politics for nearly four decades without attaching any blackspot to his name or character.

He recalled Shettar working as Leader of Opposition when the Congress government was in power with S M Krishna and Siddaramaiah as Chief Ministers.