BELAGAVI: Senior BJP leader and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar has faced several ups and downs attempting to scale new heights in his political career.
A member of the earlier Jana Sangh, he has been with BJP for a long time and over the years, he has also held several key positions in both party and government, including the leader of opposition and Speaker of the Assembly.
His political career, however, took a twist recently as he unexpectedly switched to Congress, upset over the denial of a BJP ticket from Hubli Central in the 2023 Assembly election. He hastily left Congress to rejoin BJP and the party welcomed him back by nominating him the party candidate from the Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency for the general election.
In an exclusive interview with The New Indian Express, Shettar revealed what led to his exit from the BJP and why he took tough calls to bolster his position in the party.
How is your election campaign going on?
The campaigning is picking up momentum everywhere and we are trying to reach out to the people. Given the drastic developments Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up in varied fields, the people across the country are keen to see him at the helm of affairs for another decade. Our campaign is getting a huge response from the people in Belagavi constituency.
Why are you keen on entering the Lok Sabha after being an MLA for six terms and active in state politics for the last several decades?
I don’t think it makes any difference for a politician whether he is an MLA or MP. Several leaders in the past, including HN Ananth Kumar, were active both in state and national politics. Many BJP leaders have worked for the party’s organisation and growth in the state, despite being MPs. The political activities of leaders (MPs and MLAs) largely depend on the decisions taken by the party’s top leadership.
Being a BJP loyalist, why did you quit the party last year?
Well. It all happened due to the political developments and incidents that took place at that time (after the 2023 Assembly polls). I had to lodge a protest and quit BJP. Many leaders feel my decision to quit BJP was correct and today, they also feel that my decision to return is also right. I was not away from BJP for a long time. However, some of the circumstances made me take decisions which were necessary at that time. I am happy that I am back in BJP.
Don’t you think your brief exit from BJP will impact your prospects in the coming election? Do you have regrets for taking such a step?
I will again say that I made a decision to quit at that time and it happened. It was a bad time and now I don’t feel the need to analyse the decisions I took. I absolutely don’t have any regrets. When I was out of BJP, my national party leaders contacted me. I responded to their call, went and met them. I returned to the party eventually. Even when I was in Congress for a brief period, I never criticised anybody, particularly Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah or party president JP Nadda. Also, I never criticised the party nor questioned the national leadership. I don’t think it will affect my prospects in the coming election.
Did you face any pressure from Congress to quit BJP?
Given the political developments that took place prior to my quitting BJP, I was really upset and they (Congress) also asked me to join Congress at that time. I had no other thoughts and joined that party.
What are the major factors on which you are contesting LS polls from Belagavi?
The Modi factor will be the key in the coming election that will help the party perform better. The people have a lot of hopes on Modi and his leadership. They are watching the country develop faster under Modi’s leadership. The reforms he brought in and the development of infrastructure in many fields that took place under his leadership have impressed people. The introduction of Vande Bharat trains and the launch of several schemes to improve air services will help the party in the coming election.
Caste factor always plays a key role in the Belagavi constituency. Do you fear the votes of the dominant Lingayat community will be split?
If you recall developments in the past, you will find that LS elections largely have been fought on national issues and not other factors. The people will be more concerned about the national leadership, Prime Minister candidate, etc. Caste and other factors may be issues in Assembly or panchayat elections.