Shettar Back To BJP Fold: How Congress Reacted?

The Karnataka Congress has downplayed the development of Jagadish Shettar quitting the party to join the BJP.

The former Karnataka Chief Minister, who had quit the BJP to join the Congress ahead of the state assembly polls last year, rejoined his old party on Thursday. Shettar cited his long association with the BJP, and said many of his well-wishers wanted him to join back the party.

On Jagadish Shettar rejoining BJP, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah 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."

Taking a swipe at the Karnataka BJP, state minister 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...Him 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."

Saleem Ahmed, the working President of Karnataka Congress Committee, expressed surprise over the development, stating that they had not expected it. He mentioned that when the BJP dumped Shettar, the Congress party provided him a ticket to contest the polls. "ven 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," he added.

However, the BJP has welcomed Shettar to the party fold. "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...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," former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai said.

Mahesh Tenginkai, who defeated Shettar in the Hubballi-Dharwad-Central constituency, said, "We welcome the decision taken by the central leadership of the BJP..."

Shettar joined the party in the presence of former Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa, Union ministers Bhupender Yadav and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra and its media head Anil Baluni.

He also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital.

Shettar left the BJP after he was denied a ticket to contest the assembly polls, last year.