Bengaluru: In a major setback to the ruling BJP, all its attempts have failed to stop its former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar from leaving the party.
Shettar on Sunday submitted his resignation from the post of MLA at the office of Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri in Sirsi town of Uttara Kannada district.
When asked about whether he would revert his decision if the party decides to fulfil his demand, Shettar reacted, “I have taken a decision and moved on. I will contest elections for sure,” he stated.
Answering a question about whether he will join the Congress party, Shettar said he has not taken any decision yet and he will soon make an announcement in this regard after submitting his resignation from the primary membership of the party.
Sources said that when Shettar reached the office of Speaker of the Assembly to submit his resignation, a last minute compromise attempt was made. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Shettar over phone and asked him to stay back in the party. However, Shettar did not heed to his requests and submitted his resignation and walked out of the office of Kageri.
Shettar said that he was not a rowdy-sheeter, and does not have any CD (referring to allegations of many senior BJP ministers staying back over the threat of an expose of their private CDs). “I have built the party when it was not in power. The party is powerful under the leadership of PM Modi. But, we are being thrown out of the party,” he stated.
Sources explained that state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar has booked a special chopper for Jagadish Shettar in the name of one of his confidantes to fly him from Hubballi to Bengaluru.
Shettar is a six-time MLA and represented the Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency. He was denied a ticket this time resulting in his exit from the party. “I am feeling like I have been thrown out of my house,” Shettar maintained.
Former CM B.S. Yediyurappa reacting to the exit of Shettar on Sunday stated that he was with the BJP since the time of Jan Sangh. He was made an MLA, minister, opposition leader and CM. He has the responsibility to take his steps along with PM Modi, who is in the process of building the nation.
“Shettar has betrayed the party and it can’t be forgiven. He was offered central ministership. But, Shettar is joining the Congress. People of Karnataka will not forgive him,” he maintained.
