‘This place holds special place in my heart’: Back in BJP, Jagadish Shettar hopeful of being elected MP from Belagavi

Former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar, who recently returned to the BJP from Congress, was fielded from Belgaum.

Published on: Mar 26, 2024, 10:09:00 IST

ANIPosted by Yamini C S

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Back with the BJP after briefly flirting with the ruling Congress, veteran leader Jagadish Shettar, who is in the fray for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, said he was confident of being elected to the Lower House of Parliament from the Belagavi district.

Former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar being welcomed after he rejoined the BJP.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, the former Karnataka chief minister said, "I am in regular contact with all fellow party workers and the people in Belagavi. This place holds a special place in my heart. I am confident of repaying the faith that the party has vested in me. I am hopeful of being elected an MP from the Belagavi district."

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Weighing in on the perceived dispute between Marathas and Kannadigas, Shettar said there are no differences between the two communities.

"Here, in Karnataka, the Marathas and Kannadigas are like brothers. There is no difference between the two communities. They all are Indians," he added.

The BJP on Sunday released its fifth list of 111 candidates for Lok Sabha elections. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who recently returned to the party from the Congress, was fielded from Belgaum while former state minister K Sudhakar will contest Chikballapur.

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Shettar will contest Belagavi in place of sitting MP Mangala Angadi, who was denied renomination.

Shettar, who quit the BJP and switched over to the Congress after being denied a ticket to contest last year's assembly elections, returned to his old party in January.

A six-time MLA from the constituency, Shettar was reportedly advised by the party to stand down and not seek a fresh term as MLA from the Hubli-Dharwad Central segment, following which his followers expressed their anguish against the BJP's top leadership.

READ | BJP drops 6-time controversial MP Anantkumar Hegde from Lok Sabha contest. 5 times his remarks stoked row

The 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka will poll in two phases--on April 26 and May 7.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JDS fought together against the BJP but were still decimated. The BJP had won a record 25 seats while the Congress and the JDS won just a single seat each.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, starting April 19. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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