New Delhi: “What are my minus points,” former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader Jagadish Shettar has asked the party high command after reportedly being asked to make way for newcomers in the 10 May Assembly elections.
In what looks like the first major sign of rebellion, the six-time MLA from Hubbali said he has written to the party bosses, requesting them to give him another chance to fight elections.
In a lengthy byte to news agency ANI, Shettar said he had asked the high command about the meaning of seniority. “My age is 67 and I am an ex-CM. Every survey has shown that I am popular. In the last six elections, I was elected with the blessings of the Hubbali people… I was continuously elected with a margin of more than 25,000 votes. I have not lost a single term,” he said.
Shettar spelt out his commitment to the party, highlighting how his family had been associated with the BJP since the days of the Jana Sangh.
“My uncle was a Jana Sangh MLA in 1967, my father in 1976 was councillor and mayor of Hubbali… The Shettar family has contributed a lot to strengthening the party in north Karnataka,” he added.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Shivamogga MLA K.S. Eshwarappa said Tuesday he would like to withdraw from electoral politics, in what is being seen as an attempt to pre-empt his exclusion from the candidate list.
He wrote to BJP President J.P. Nadda, saying: “The party gave me a lot of responsibilities in the last 40 years, from a booth in charge to the state party chief. I also had the honour of becoming deputy chief minister. Thank you so much.”
Top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met Sunday to finalise the candidates list for the Karnataka elections, which is yet to be announced.