Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar resigns from BJP after being denied assembly election ticket

Former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Jagadish Shettar, has announced his resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after being denied a ticket to contest the upcoming state assembly election. The 67-year-old leader expressed his intention to contest the election as an independent candidate and also stated that he will resign from the assembly.

Shettar, who was the Leader of the Opposition when the Congress was in power in the state, expressed his disappointment at being denied the ticket and alleged that there was a systematic conspiracy against him. He also accused some party leaders of creating a situation for him to resign from the party. Shettar had been saying that he will contest the election and claimed that he has built and raised the party.

This move is a major blow to the BJP ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections. Recently, former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi also resigned from the party and joined the Congress after being denied a ticket. The BJP had given a ticket to Mahesh Kumathalli, who was previously with the Congress but defected to the BJP to bring down the coalition government of the Congress and the JD(S) led by H.D. Kumaraswamy in 2019.

Shettar's resignation could have a significant impact on the outcome of the election, particularly in north Karnataka where he has a strong following. The BJP had reportedly asked him not to contest the election to make way for young people. However, Shettar has decided to contest the election as an independent candidate, regardless of the consequences.