Jagadish Shettar: ‘Workers have no value in Congress … a lot of dissatisfaction as kin of state ministers are in the fray’

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:

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.

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.

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