High command just said make way for youngsters: Shettar

The BJP high command, on Tuesday, asked former chief minister Jagadish Shettar not to contest from the Hubballi-Dharwad central constituency (earlier Hubballi Rural), which he is representing continuously since 1994.

However, Shettar made his stand clear here that he would contest the elections and would be active in politics for 10-15 years more.

“I am shocked and hurt. I don’t know why they asked me to vacate and give chance for others. I have requested the high command to reconsider its decision and I will wait till tomorrow,” he said.

Shettar comes from a family having close links with the Jan Sangh, RSS and BJP.

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His uncle was a Jan Sangh MLA and his father was the mayor. He was considered one among the strong Lingayat faces in the BJP.

The former chief minister said that the party high command clarified that there was no negative opinion about him in the surveys and that it did not furnish proper answers about the criteria adopted before arriving at this decision.

“They just said, you are senior, make way for others,” he added.

“Were former chief ministers not given tickets in other states? I have no black spot, like corruption allegation, in my career. I have worked hard to build the party in the region with total loyalty to it. If I am denied the ticket, people in the region will be in for a big shock,” Shettar said.

Noting that he had already started campaigning and that people were expressing huge support this time also, he said, “I don’t know why the high command is doing so. I have age on my side, I am in good health and I am not facing anti-incumbency.”

“If they had to take this decision, they should have told me a couple of months back, so that I could have had a respectful exit,” the former CM said.

“I will contest and I will wait for the high command’s decision till tomorrow,” he said.