Jagdish Shettar bolts from BJP; Lingayata leader shuns central position bait
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, April 16: Congress campaign committee chief MB Patil in Karnataka is learnt to have prevailed over former state chief minister and formidable Linagaya leader Jagdish Shettar to quit the Bharataiya Janata Party (BJP) with only three weeks to go for the Assembly elections. Shettar’s rebellion on the back of Luxman Savadi has come on the back of a massive exercise undertaken by the top leadership of the BJP for damage control.
Shettar, sources said, is shortly going to join Congress, and even contest the ensuing Assembly elections. By lapping two Lingayata leaders, Congress is making attempts to cut into the BJP’s principal vote base in Karnataka, which is the only large state in the southern parts of the country where the saffron outfit is in power.
Sources revealed that Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah had rung Shettar to persuade him against taking any extreme step against the interests of the BJP. The same message was also conveyed by the BJP chief JP Nadda in a phone call to Shettar, sources said, who added that the party’s state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan had also called on the rebellious leader to accept the decision of the high command.
Sources also revealed that the top BJP leaders even offered Shettar to accommodate in the Central government in a bid to buy peace with him ahead of the Assembly elections. But Shettar was firm to contest the elections, as he was not willing to accept the decision of the high command that though he can pick his nominee, it should not be from his family in line with the party’s bid to discourage political dynasties within the party, sources revealed.
Shettar, 67, was chief minister of Karnataka during 2012-13, besides being also the Speaker of the legislative Assembly and the leader of the Opposition when Congress formed the government in the state. He represented Hubli-Dharward Central Assembly constituency for five consecutive terms in the state Assembly.
The BJP has fielded over 50 candidates who will be contesting elections for the first time in Karnataka. Also, the BJP has fielded 62 candidates who are below 50 years of age. While Shettar is 67 years of age, which is at least eight years lower than the unofficial ceiling of 75 years, indications have emerged that the BJP is now phasing out leaders who are within the striking range of even 70 years of age. This is part of the BJP strategy to build a leadership base for the next decade, sources added.
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