Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, a prominent Lingayat face in Karnataka, who switched sides after being denied the ticket by Bharatiya Janata Party, may have lost his own election from the Hubballi-Dharwad Central Assembly constituency, but his contribution to the overall victory of the Congress, which he joined, cannot be ignored. In fact, there is every possibility that the Congress may either make him an MLC or give him a Rajya Sabha nomination at an appropriate time. Many political analysts acknowledge that the former CM’s shifting had an impact on the pattern of voting of his community; out of 46 Lingayats fielded by the Congress, 37 emerged victorious. In addition, the Lingayat vote, which was earlier overwhelmingly in favour of the BJP, this time was divided, thus ensuring the defeat of the Saffron Brigade in several key constituencies. It is well known that both former CM, B.S.Yeddyurappa and Shettar along with the late Ananth Kumar and some others, had built the BJP in Karnataka over a period of years, through their hard work and dedication. The Lingayats were the backbone of the BJP and after the removal of Yeddyurappa, things were never the same again. Although Basavaraj Bommai who succeeded Yeddyurappa, as his nominee, also belonged to the same caste, he could not inspire the cadres sufficiently. Incidentally, Shettar had nearly three decades ago defeated Bommai from the Hubli area, while he was in the Janata Dal. There was a growing feeling that in the past few years, when the BJP was in power, Shettar was not only ignored but also repeatedly humiliated. This pent-up feeling came to fore, after he was denied ticket on the ground that, younger people should be encouraged in the party. He accused B.L. Santosh, the party organizing secretary of ruining the BJP’s prospects, and questioned the logic, maintaining that while he was only 66, people ten years his senior had been granted the ticket. Speaking to the media after losing the polls by over 34,000 votes, Shettar said that he would accept the electorate’s verdict. However, “the people who wanted to defeat him had, in their bid to defeat him, had defeated the BJP in the whole State’’.
A senior Congress functionary on condition of anonymity stated that the party High Command was conscious of Shettar’s importance in State politics, and could induct him as a minister in the new government which would be formed shortly. His role would also be crucial keeping in view next year’s Lok Sabha election where he could help his new party to vanquish the BJP, since he knew “the ins and outs’’ of the Saffron brigade and its style of functioning. It is also being pointed out that after the 2018 polls, where Laxman Savadi (now in the Congress) was defeated, the BJP, made him a minister by bringing him in as an MLC. A similar action could be initiated by the Congress in respect of Shettar. A decision regarding his future would be taken by Congress president, Malikarjun Kharge, who belongs to the State, in consultation with UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, who is away holidaying in Himachal Pradesh. The Gandhis are aware that while the Congress performed exceedingly well due to the collective efforts of the state leadership supplemented by their own role, it was difficult to overlook certain X-factors that had come into play. Shettar’s switchover was one of them. There has also been all round praise for Kharge, who through his experience and understanding, ensured that factionalism within the Congress, did not come in the way of its victory. He, along with the Gandhis, would play a decisive role in determining who the next Chief Minister of the State would be? Both Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar are seen as capable persons, but the final decision would take into account many factors such as the suitability of the Chief Minister to replicate the party’s performance in next year’s Parliamentary polls. The new leader of the Legilslature party would be chosen after the party observers take the views of the newly elected MLAs in the next few days. The Congress cadres are joyous with the outcome while the BJP is trying to figure out what went wrong and how it could reclaim its space in the only Southern State where it was in power.
