Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar voiced his dissent on Tuesday after being asked by the BJP central leadership not to contest the upcoming Assembly elections on May 10. The 67-year-old BJP leader, who is a sitting MLA from Hubli-Dharwad Central, has informed the party top brass of his displeasure with the decision, stating that he would contest the election again and requesting that they reconsider their decision, reported news agency PTI.
Shettar, a former BJP state unit president and Assembly Speaker, said he had worked hard for 30 years to build the party in the north Karnataka region and had been loyal to the party. He questioned the BJP's decision to disallow him from contesting in the Karnataka election, given that there was no corruption charge or allegation against him. He also cited the public's positive response in a report of the survey conducted by the BJP ahead of the election.
Shettar said that if the party had informed him two to three months ago, he would have respected their decision. However, with the nomination only two days away, he felt hurt by their decision.
He also expressed his disappointment that loyalty seemed to have turned out to be a drawback for him and wondered whether there was no respect for it. Shettar said that he was offered a different position. He was asked to discuss it with the high command. However, he said that he felt insulted and said he should have been treated respectfully as a senior leader and former Chief Minister of the state, PTI reported.
Shettar's announcement has sparked controversy within the BJP, with many party members expressing their support for him and questioning the party's decision. The situation has also highlighted the internal power struggles within the BJP as the party prepares for the Assembly elections in Karnataka.