Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar quit the BJP and joined the Congress in April 2023, just months before the elections, sending shockwaves across the party he had been associated with for decades. Though he lost the elections from his home turf Hubli-Dharwad, he was made an MLC. He returned to the BJP in January and is now its candidate from the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat that was earlier represented by his close relative and former Union Minister Suresh Angadi.
The prominent Lingayat leader talks to The Indian Express about the campaign, his electoral prospects, and his community’s influence on the elections, among other issues.
Excerpts:
Would you have been happier had the party fielded you from Dharwad, which is closer to home?
I do not differentiate (between seats) as I have a lot of acquaintances in Dharwad, Haveri, and Belgaum. People will support me if I contest from any of the three constituencies.
What is your assessment of the ground situation?
I have worked hard to develop Belagavi city and am acquainted with the party organisation here. I regularly visit the city. Moreover, Angadi is a close relative. I was the Leader of the Opposition when he was the district president and we built the party in every taluk. I am aware of the problems of the city and the district and have a close relationship with the people.
BJP’s Belgaum candidate Jagadish Shettar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an election meet in the constituency. (Express photo)
But you have been labelled an “outsider”…
It is not a debatable issue at all. Why did the Congress not talk about it when (Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah contested from Badami in Bagalkot district when he is a native of Mysuru or when (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi contested from Wayanad in Kerala instead of Amethi (the family’s previous stronghold) in Uttar Pradesh?
Even (former Congress president) Sonia Gandhi contested the Lok Saha elections from Bellary (in 1999). In the current elections, minister Shivananda Patil’s daughter Samyukta is in the fray from Bagalkot even though she is from Bijapur. I do not understand why Congress leaders are raising this issue.
In last year’s Assembly elections, you were with the Congress. Now, you are with the BJP. How was the transition?
I left the BJP due to some incidents but was invited back to the party immediately by national leaders and rejoined within a short time.
I, along with (former CM) B S Yediyurappa and (ex-Union minister) Ananthkumar, was involved in building the BJP from scratch in the state. My family has been with the BJP since its Jana Sangh days. It is our “maatr paksha (mother party)”.
In the Assembly polls, the Congress benefited due to Lingayat leaders like you quitting the BJP. Has the situation changed with your return?
A large number of Lingayats will back the BJP.
What are your poll promises?
Belagavi is an important city, with the third busiest airport in Karnataka after Bengaluru and Mangaluru. A new terminal will come up to boost the city’s air connectivity.
I also have plans to bring bigger industries (to the city) and am charting a plan to create the necessary infrastructure. The availability of human resources makes Belagavi a good place for IT companies. I also want to complete all railway and infrastructure projects at the earliest and have some irrigation projects in mind.
Do you think unemployment and inflation are issues in this election?
Unemployment is a universal issue and was there during the Congress regime too. He (PM Modi) has done a lot for the generation of employment and many young people are getting jobs in the government and the private sector.
Two constituencies of Belagavi district, Belgaum and Chikkodi, and the Bagalkot Lok Sabha seat are among the few with state ministers’ children in the fray…
Workers have no value in the Congress. There is a lot of internal dissatisfaction among the Congress’s cadre as the kin of ministers and important political leaders are in the fray. Congress MLAs who say there is no scope for workers feel that the criteria for selecting candidates are having powerful relatives and money. Party workers and people are disappointed with the Congress.
