Davangere: Terming former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who returned to BJP by quitting Congress, as scrap material, Chanangiri MLA Basavaraju V Shivaganga stated that this development has made him happy and it is not a loss to the party.
Speaking to media persons, here on Thursday, he said, "We had brought Shettar to the party considering his seniority, commitment and responsibility and not because he was a former chief minister. Though Shettar had lost the assembly polls by 35,000 votes, he was made MLC. But finally, he has shown his true colour and he is unfit to retain the respect shown to him."
He said, "We had known his hunger for power when he became the minister during the state government-led by the then chief minister Sadananda Gowda despite enjoying chief minister post. It is clear that he has no political hold and his electoral politics was the result of communal BJP and not of his individual capacity. So, his resignation to the primary membership of Congress is not a loss."
He said Lok Sabha polls are around the corner and Shettar might have returned to BJP eyeing the union minister post. He also stated that people would teach a lesson to Shettar, who has hunger for power no matter from where he faces the polls. They would make Shettar retire from electoral politics.
He said, "We are following the ideals of former chief ministers the late S Bangarappa and J H Patel. I fear that I may follow the path of Shettar in the future."
When questioned on Laxman Savadi, he said Savadi is a good leader and he would not quit Congress.
Published 25 January 2024, 20:30 IST