Will Jagdish Shettar’s joining Congress harm BJP?

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and veteran BJP leader Jagadish Shettar finally joined the Congress on Monday. Shettar’s political stature can be gauged from the fact that Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge himself was present at the party office in Bengaluru to induct him into the party. BJP also had a good idea of ​​his political stature, so the party’s national president JP Nadda called him to Delhi and tried to convince himself. Many veteran leaders from election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan to state Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai kept trying to persuade him.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa even said that the BJP had not asked him to retire from politics, but the party was even ready to send him to the Rajya Sabha and make him a minister at the Centre. Even after the party was ready to give ticket to any other member of Shettar’s family, Jagadish Shettar remained adamant on contesting himself and joined Congress on Monday after being denied ticket.

Now the biggest question is arising whether Jagadish Shettar joining Congress will harm BJP in Karnataka? Will Congress benefit from Shettar joining the party? Can Shettar’s exit from the party prove to be such a big blow to the BJP that it may have to lose the elections and be thrown out of power in the state?

Actually, there is no doubt that Jagadish Shettar is considered a big leader of the Lingayat community in Karnataka. Shettar is considered the second tallest leader of the Lingayat community in the state after BS Yeddyurappa. The leader of the same Lingayat community, about whom it is said that the post of Chief Minister of Karnataka is decided by the vote of this community. This community can win the election as well as defeat it.

This is the reason why he has been getting constant attention in the BJP. From the secretary of BJP, he was made the state president of Karnataka BJP. Shettar has been a six-time MLA, several times as a minister and has held important portfolios. Even the big posts of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and Chief Minister of the state were given to him by the BJP considering his political influence.

It is true that Jagadish Shettar is a big leader of Lingayat community and if Congress properly utilizes him, he can harm BJP candidates in more than 20 seats, especially in North Karnataka seats and BJP also realizes this very well. . That’s why it is believed that the BJP would have prepared a strategy to reduce this loss as well under the specialty of its aggressive election campaign.

The BJP has become famous for fighting elections till the last moment, so it will try its best to win Shettar’s current assembly seat as well. The BJP also feels that Jagadish Shettar’s political mentor BS Yeddyurappa appears to be fully standing with the party and the Lingayat community is unlikely to side with him considering the manner in which he is criticizing Shettar. . The party is assuming that BS Yeddyurappa, the tallest leader of the Lingayat community in the state, is firmly standing with the BJP and hence the community will vote for the BJP.

Therefore, Jagadish Shettar, who plans to harm the BJP by joining the Congress, will have to fight the aura, political dominance and popularity of his own political guru, BS Yeddyurappa, this time to get the votes of his own pro-Lingayat voters and hence the BJP. Looks confident about his victory. However, whose thinking and strategy turned out to be correct, it will be known only on May 13 when the results of EVM counting will come out.

Santosh Pathak

(The author is a senior journalist and columnist.)