'Treated Him With Respect, But...': Congress, BJP Spar Over Jagadish Shettar's 'Ghar Wapsi' To Saffron Party

Against this backdrop, the Congress maintained that it had provided a post to Jagadish Shettar despite his electoral defeat, while the BJP contended that Shettar faced discomfort within the Congress.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar rejoined BJP at the party's headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday. Jagadish, formerly associated with the BJP, resigned from the party to join the Congress before Karnataka Assembly Elections in 2023 after he was denied a ticket by the saffron party.

Shettar, a prominent leader in the Lingayat community, served as Karnataka's 15th Chief Minister from July 2012 till May 2013. 

On Monday, Shettar rejoined BJP in the presence of former Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa, Union Minister Bhupender Singh Yadav, Karnataka BJP president Vijayendra Yediyurappa and Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday. Earlier, Shettar also met Union Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

After joining BJP, Jagadish Shettar said, "The party gave me a lot of responsibilities in the past. Due to some issues, I went to the Congress party. In the last 8-9 months, there were a lot of discussions, also BJP workers asked me to come back to the BJP."

"Yediyurappa ji and Vijayendra ji also wanted me to come back to the BJP. I am rejoining the party with the belief that Narendra Modi ji has to become the PM again," he said.

Against this backdrop, the Congress maintained that it had provided a post to the former CM despite his electoral defeat, while the BJP contended that Shettar faced discomfort within the Congress.

Jagadish Shettar Joins BJP - Top Points

• Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said he was unaware of Shettar joining the BJP.  The CM also recalled how Shettar said that he was insulted by BJP and was denied a ticket. 
  
  He said, "Jagadish Shettar said that BJP insulted him by not giving him a ticket. Although we gave him a ticket he lost the assembly election. Still, we made him a member of the Legislative Council and treated him with respect. I don't know about him rejoining BJP. He told me that he had been humiliated by the BJP and would not go back again."

• Basavaraj Bommai said that Jagadish Shettar's return to the BJP was motivated by his discomfort in the Congress. Further, he alleged that more Congress leaders were expected to join the BJP.
  
  Former Karnataka CM Bommai said, "He had gone to Congress out of anger and not due to his heartfelt love for Congress. He was very uncomfortable there. He took this call at the right time. It is good for him as well as the BJP.”
  
  The BJP leader alleged that the Congress party is experiencing a decline particularly evident in Karnataka. Bommai said: “Congress is on the downtrend and in Karnataka, we have seen that a lot of ministers have even refused to contest. Congress doesn't have more than 50% good candidates to field. So, we are going to win more than 25 out of the 28 seats this time.”
  
  “Ghar Wapasi was on the cards. It has just started now. More people are going to come, more leaders are going to come. Not only 'ghar wapasi', people from Congress have also shown interest in coming to BJP. There will be a big political change in Karnataka," he said.
  
  

• Priyank Kharge, a Karnataka Minister and Congress leader, said Jagadish Shettar's return to the BJP was an indication of the party's leadership vacuum in the state. Priyank Kharge said, "I heard a statement saying that he has rejoined BJP to strengthen PM Modi's prospects of becoming a CM. So it is very evident that in Karnataka, BJP lacks leadership. They don't have faith in their current state of leadership. Hence they need Shettar.”
  
  “Shettar going to BJP must have a deeper meaning than just what it is. Whatever it is, Congress is not dependent on anybody - dependent only on its local leaders, workers...It is not a big blow to the party as the media makes it look like," he said.

• Karnataka Congress Committee Working President Saleem Ahmed said the Congress appointed Shettar as an MLC despite his electoral loss. Working President of Karnataka Congress Committee Saleem Ahmed said, "We didn't expect this. When BJP dumped Mr Shettar, the Congress party gave him a ticket. Even after he lost, Congress made him the MLC. We were even planning to give him an important post in the party... He criticised the BJP saying they used him. He alleged they dumped him even though he was in the party for the last 40-45 years. Till yesterday he criticised the BJP... Congress gave him all the respect..."