Karnataka polls: Jagadish Shettar resigns from BJP; why are you joining Congress, asks Yediyurappa

Former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar resigned from the BJP on Sunday. He was upset with the party over the denial of a ticket in the upcoming assembly elections. "I wanted only the MLA seat for Hubali-Dharwad-Central...I had contributed to the growth of the party in the state," he said after resigning as MLA at Sirsi. When asked whether he will join the Congress, he said: "I have not decided yet."

Reacting to his resignation, former Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa said the people from Karnataka will not forgive Shettar and Laxman Savadi - another BJP leader who recently joined the Congress.

"I want to ask Jagadish Shettar why is he joining Congress? If he comes back to BJP, we will welcome him," Yediyurappa, BJP's tallest leader in the state, said.

"We made him (Jagadish Shettar) the CM of Karnataka, and we made him the state BJP president. The statements given by him have made us unhappy," Yediyurappa said, adding that people knew about Jagadish Shettar only because of BJP.

The BJP leader said cabinet minister Dharmendra Pradhan offered a ministerial position to Jagadish Shettar. "We had offered a ticket to Jagadish Shatter's family. But he didn't respond to it," he added.

Before resigning, Shettar said the ill-treatment and humiliation by the senior leaders of the party had hurt him a lot. "My decision (to resign from BJP) is final. Some state leaders are mishandling the BJP system in Karnataka," he said while speaking to reporters. "I am going to tender my resignation as an MLA and I will also resign from the primary membership of the party. Later I will decide the next course of action, whether I have to fight independently or with a party."

Karnataka CM Basavraj Bommai said it was unfortunate that Shettar was resigning. He was the former CM and the party president as well. "There will be a small impact on the party and BJP is capable of overcoming it. Party has decided to give way to the younger generation," he said.

Bommai said the party's national chief 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," he said.