Ticket for Jagadish Shettar under consideration of BJP leadership: Pralhad Joshi

Hubballi: Amid uncertainty over whether the BJP would give a ticket to senior leader and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to contest in the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said the matter was under the consideration of the party high command, and expressed hope that it would be resolved "smoothly".

The BJP top brass, ahead of releasing the first list of candidates earlier this week, had told Shettar to make way for others, but he asserted that he wanted to contest one last time.

The party has not announced a candidate for the Hubballi-Dharwad Central segment represented by him.

"Ticket for Jagadish Shettar is under the consideration of the party's national leadership. We have expressed our opinion very clearly that the ticket should be given to Jagadish Shettar. Shettar and I had met the national president and held discussions. Everything will be resolved smoothly," Joshi, who also hails from Karnataka, told reporters here.

The 67-year-old Shettar was called to Delhi by BJP national president J P Nadda after he made public his resentment over the party asking him to make way for others.

The BJP has so far announced candidates in 212 out of the total 224 seats in the Assembly.