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

Hubbali (Karnataka) [India], March 25 (ANI): 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.
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."
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.
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.
The 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnatak 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. (ANI)