Hubbali, Karnataka:
Back with the BJP after a brief flirtation 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 House from the district Belagavi.
Speaking to ANI on Monday, the former Karnataka chief minister said, “I am in regular contact with all party members and people of Belagavi. This place has a special place in my heart. I am confident that I have the confidence that the party has placed in me. I am hopeful that I will be elected MP from Belagavi district.”
Shettar said taking into account the alleged dispute between Marathas and Kannadigas, 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 are all Indians,” he added.
The BJP on Sunday released its fifth list of 111 candidates for the 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 incumbent MP Mangala Angadi, who was denied reappointment.
Shettar, who quit the BJP and switched to the Congress after he was denied a ticket for the Assembly elections last year, returned to his old party in January.
Shettar, a six-time MLA from the constituency, was reportedly advised by the party to resign and not seek another term as MLA from Hubli-Dharwad Central segment, following which his followers expressed their fear against the BJP’s top leadership.
The 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnatak will be voted on in two phases: on April 26 and May 7.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and the 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 only one seat each.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 19. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.
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