Joined Congress unconditionally, won’t go back to BJP: Jagadish Shettar to TNM

Shettar said that it was not a betrayal to leave the party and join Congress, despite BJP leaders including Yediyurappa calling it so.
Jagadish Shettar
Jagadish Shettar
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Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said there was no question of going back to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a party he has been associated with for several decades after they disrespected him. While speaking to TNM in an exclusive interview on April 26, Shettar said, “I was ill-treated and denied a ticket at the last moment without intimating, and this hurt my self-respect, and I quit the party.” He also said that he joined Congress unconditionally, without the promises of any ministerial position and only asked them to treat him with respect and honour. 

When asked if the move was difficult for him because of his affiliation with Hindutva organisations and Congress being a secular party, he said there was no conflict of ideology. “Even while in BJP, I did not discriminate against people on the basis of caste and religion. Nothing will change with my move to Congress,” he said. However, he did not comment on the communal conflicts that have taken place in the state in the past two years.

Shettar added that while he had the support of everyone within the party, BS Yediyurappa also insisted the high command give him a ticket but in vain. “BL Santhosh wanted to give tickets to some of his ‘shishyas’ (followers), and due to his personal interests, denied me a ticket. Everyone supported me, and Yediyurappa also insisted on the high command to give me a ticket, but I was denied,” he said. When asked if Yediyurappa was being sidelined, Shettar agreed and said that Yediyurappa was helpless. 

Shettar said he could not talk about Santhosh earlier, as he would have been suspended if he had complained. “Everything is in the clutches of Santhosh and his team. If I had spoken, I would have been suspended immediately. All the state BJPs are in his clutches. I could have explained the problem if the party had approached me. I did not want to approach Amit Shah or Narendra Modi with a complaint,” he said. 

On being asked whether there was a concerted effort to sideline Lingayat leaders and him in particular, Shettar said, “That feeling has definitely hardened. Yediyurappa and I are senior Lingayat leaders in the party, and if I was elected for the seventh time, they thought that I may claim the number one position. This is why they prevented me from contesting the elections." He said it was not a betrayal to leave the party and join Congress, despite BJP leaders including Yediyurappa calling it so. 

Watch the full interview:

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