Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national chief JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had promised a big post to former CM Jagadish Shettar in Delhi said Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai after Shettar tendered his resignation as MLA on Sunday.
“Jagadish Shettar has been a senior and an important leader in this region. JP Nadda and Union Home Minister had promised a big post in Delhi to Shettar. Everything would have been fine if the former CM had continued,” Basavaraj Bommai told media in Hubballi. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar tendered his resignation as an MLA to Karnataka Assembly Speaker, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, at Sirsi on Sunday.
Shettar, who resigned as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA on Sunday, said he was yet to decide whether he would join the Congress.
On being asked whether he will be joining Congress, the former Karnataka chief minister said, “I have not decided yet.”
Earlier, on Sunday, Shettar said some Karnataka BJP leaders were mishandling the party in the State.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and CM Basavraj Bommai met Shettar at his Hubballi residence. They offered him that his family members could contest the election and would be given other important positions, but he refused.
According to BJP sources, after Pradhan and CM’s visit, BJP top brass also called Shettar and offered him the post of governor or central minister, but he refused to take the offers.
He said that he only wants to work as MLA for his constituency, and has no desire for any big post. “Now, I have decided to resign from the party. I will not take back my decision even if they decide to give me the ticket”, Jagdish was quoted as telling a top BJP source.