HUBBALLI: Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday said that he had received a call from the party bosses in the morning on making way for a newcomer and added that he was pained and hurt by the development.
“I received the call around 11 am. They said I am a senior leader and former CM and should make way for someone else. I told them that over the last 30 years, I have worked to build and strengthen the party in North Karnataka. I have worked as a minister, Speaker, state party president, leader of the Opposition and Chief Minister”, he said.
“Under the leadership of B S Yediyurappa, the late H N Ananth Kumar, K S Eshwarappa and other leaders, I have contributed to growing the party in North Karnataka. I was also involved in distributing tickets to hundreds of others. I have been elected six times and each time, I have won with a margin of at least 25,000 votes. If I should not contest the election this time, the party leadership should give me a reason — what are my negatives, what the surveys says. But the leaders who spoke to me say the survey of my candidacy is positive. I do not have any black mark on my political career or face any allegations”, Shettar said.
“I am very hurt by the development after having worked for 30 years. They offered me some senior position in the party, but they should have spoken to me about it 2-3 months ago, not when it’s two days to file nominations. I have told them that I will contest the upcoming election and I am hopeful they will agree. I am confident that I will with a huge majority and I will continue in active politics for another 10 years”, Shettar added.