Local politicking led to ex-Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar’s exit from BJP

BENGALURU: While the popular narrative is that former CM Jagadish Shettar quit BJP because he was denied a ticket to contest the May 10 election, a closer look suggests local politics and individual rivalry involving multiple actors also played a role.
Shettar himself alluded to this when he said on Monday: “BJP was my home. I never intended to leave since I was one of those who toiled hard to build the party from scratch. But three members including those who joined the party much later conspired to throw me out. ”
It was a thinly veiled reference to incumbent CM Basavaraj Bommai, Union minister Pralhad Joshi and BJP national organising secretary BL Santhosh.
It is no secret that Bommai and Shettar have been political rivals since they faced off in the 1994 polls for the Hubballi Rural seat. It was previously represented for three consecutive terms from 1978 by Bommai’s father, SR Bommai, a Janata Parviar strongman.
Bommai junior contested the seat on a Janata Dal ticket but lost to Shettar, who has since been invincible. Shettar’s winning streak continued even after the seat was converted into Hubballi-Dharwad Central in 2008.
Although Shettar stiffly opposed his entry, Bommai joined BJP in 2008 and the cold vibe between the party colleagues continued. It went up several notches when Bommai became CM in 2021. Shettar, who joinedthe BS Yediyurappa cabinet in 2019, stayed away from the Bommai cabinet.
Supporters of Bommai often complained of Shettar’s non-cooperation, while Shettar on several occasions took the government to task in the assembly for lapses. “Yes, we were rivals when we were in different parties but once in BJP, we shared a cordial relationship,” said Bommai. “Despite BJP offering him a Rajya Sabha seat and a berth in the Union cabinet, he left the party. ”
The cold war between Bommai and Shettar intensified when Union minister Pralhad Joshi, who represents Dharwad in the Lok Sabha, began siding with Bommai. When Joshi’s name cropped up for the CM’s post, it rankled Shettar’s supporters. Their grouse is that Shettar was humiliated despite his unflinching loyalty to the party. He was among the founders of BJP in Karnataka in 1980. Supporters complained that Shettar was not even invited to party events in recent times.
But functionaries neutral to both camps say there was no illintention when the party decided to infuse new blood.
“The presence of seniors like Shettar as an ordinary MLA would have been awkward if new faces and juniors occupied higher positions both in the party and government,” said Arvind Bellad, BJP MLA who represents Hubballi-Dharwad West. “The party leadership rolled out a plan to transform the organisational structure. Seniors should have accepted it gracefully. ”