The former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has said that while the party’s senior leaders have discussed the issue of him contesting from Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency, he has not taken any decision yet.
Speaking to presspersons in Hubballi on Thursday, Mr. Shettar said that he will take the final decision after discussion with the party high command and leaders of Belagavi.
He said that previously he held a discussion with the high command on contesting from Dharwad and Haveri and he then expressed his interest in contesting from those places. But now that candidates have been announced for both these constitutencies, he will not discuss the issue.
Mr. Shettar said that the target is to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for a third term and whoever will be the candidate locally, he will canvass and make efforts for ensuring his victory.
Replying to a query, he said it is not possible to disclose what transpired between him, the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and State president B.Y. Vijayendra during his re-induction into the party.
On the Go Back Shettar online campaign in Belagavi, he said that only a few have expressed such a view and the party high command will decide on it. In Tumakuru too, there was opposition from a few locals, but the party has now taken a decision, he said.
On Congress State president D.K. Shivakumar’s statement that Jagadish Shettar will regret his decision to go back to the BJP, he said that he did not regret it when he joined the Congress and he will not regret rejoining the BJP. “I am not that kind of a person who regrets his decisions,” he said.
