HUBBALLI: What Union minister Pralhad Joshi predicted, immediately after senior leader Jagadish Shettar had made his way to the Congress, has come true. But the latter proved himself wrong by rejoining the BJP, as he had sworn not to return to the saffron party. Now, the question remains will he prove himself wrong again, after he stated that the 2023 Assembly election will be the last of his electoral contests.
Of course, Shettar’s ‘Ghar Vapsi’ was being discussed in political circles for months, but none had guessed it would happen so soon. However, when Shettar joined the Grand Old Party right before last year’s Assembly election, Dharwad MP Joshi had said that the former would not remain there for long, citing that Shettar’s political legacy, as with his family, was from the Jan Sangh. He highlighted the massive ideological differences between the BJP and Congress.
Though the topic of his switching sides was resurfacing time and again, despite the Congress making him an MLC, he had debunked this as rumour -- a stand he maintained till earlier this week. But serious back-channel talks were on, over the last couple of weeks, to bring him back to the BJP. This also gathered pace after he was met by BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, which effected his rejoining on Thursday.
Shettar’s return may be in the political scheme of things of the party’s leadership and poll strategy in the run-up to the General Election, but locally, the party looks unenthused. His detractors, who maintained that no one is indispensible for the party, said that the BJP is well-placed to face the Parliamentary election. But Shettar’s re-entry could help blunt the perception of the party neglecting Lingayat leaders. The change in the public perception could help it score well in North Karnataka, they added.
Meanwhile, local Congress leaders were unmoved over the development, as they believed that Shettar’s exit was imminent. The leaders maintained that though Shettar was in the party, he never took part in any local meetings and barely visited the party office. Despite the party giving him a position, he chose to go back to the saffron party, which he had strongly criticised.
Eyes set on contesting LS polls?
When the BJP denied Jagadish Shettar a ticket for the 2023 Assembly polls, and he jumped ship to the Grand Old Party, to contest from the Hubballi-Dharwad Central segment, the former CM had vowed that it would be his last contest in electoral politics. Though he became an MLC, the election was indirect. There is buzz at present that he has sought to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
