'Jagadish Shettar Almost Certain To Get Ticket': Yediyurappa After Ex-CM's Rebellious Stance

Karnataka Election 2023: After former CM Jagadish Shettar said that he would contest the polls come what may, the BJP seems to have granted him a ticket.

The BJP seems to have relented after former CM and sitting MLA Jagadish Shettar vented his disappointment in public, seemingly threatening to go against the party diktat over the denial of ticket.  He went to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, demanding that he be given a ticket. BJP leader BS Yediyurappa said that Shettar is now almost certain to get a ticket. Earlier, the BJP said that six-time MLA Shettar would not be getting another shot at being an MLA. Miffed at the BJP's announcement, Shettar said that the decision was not acceptable to him and he would contest the elections come what may.

Just hours before the BJP announced its list on Tuesday, Shettar asked the party high command to reconsider its decision. Later, at the press conference held to announce the names of the candidates, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the BJP high command would convince him to drop his plan to contest the polls and stay on as a party leader. Shettar's name did not feature on BJP's first list of 189 candidates for the Karnataka elections. 

However, the party refrained from announcing the name of the candidate from Shettar's present seat — Hubli-Dharwad Central. On Wednesday, Shah held a meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda, national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh, general secretary BL Santhosh, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, to discuss the list of candidates. Soon after the meeting, Yediyurappa said: "Jagadish Shettar is 99% certain to be given an election ticket."

Yediyurappa further said: "Out of the 189 seats that were announced on Tuesday, we shall win 125-130 seats. We are happy with the announcement. We will form the government again in Karnataka."

The saffron party is facing some severe opposition from its own workers and leaders after it denied tickets to heavyweights in favour of fresh faces. The saffron party, while announcing the first list of 189 candidates on Tuesday, said it was a "carefully crafted list" to strike a balance between "experience and new vigour".

Sitting MLAs of Belagavi North and Ramdurg constituencies Anil Benake and Mahadevappa Shivalingappa Yadawad have also been denied tickets by the BJP for the upcoming assembly elections in the Belagavi district. The party instead fielded Ravi Patil and Chikkarevanna to contest from Belagavi North and Ramdurg respectively. The move sparked protests by the dropped MLAs' supporters.

Another heavyweight, former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, quit the BJP after being denied a ticket. After tendering his resignation, a visibly miffed Savadi said: "I have made my decision. I am not the one who goes around with a begging bowl. I am a self-respecting politician. I am not acting under the influence of anyone."