Exit of top Lingayat leaders will hamper BJP's prospects in elections: Jagadish Shettar questions double standards in tickets' allocation

Sirsi (Karnataka) [India], April 16 : Six-time MLA and former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday questioned the double standards of the party as on one hand top leadership is giving an opportunity to the younger generation in electoral politics and on the contrary also allotted tickets to other senior leaders who are above 70 years of age.
Shettar, a senior leader of the Lingayat community, resigned from the party today after being denied a ticket from the Hubli-Dharwad Central segment. The party leaders had made attempts to address his grievances, as a part of which Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pralhad Joshi along with Chief Minister Bommai had held a meeting with him on Saturday evening. However, the discussions did not pay off and he announced his resignation from the party late Saturday evening.
Speaking to ANI after his resignation, Shettar said, "Why was ticket given to people over 70 years of age? Tripa Reddy is 76, Dipesh Swami is 76, and Karjor and so many others are 72. But I am 67 years old only. Why was I replaced and not them?"
"I only wanted MLA ticket under the leadership of Yediyurappa and Anant Kumar," he added.
Shettar's stament comes after Bommai had said that tickets are being denied to some candidates as opportunities are being given to young generation.
When asked about his next course of action, Shettar said that he will discuss with his supporters and then take a call.
He, however, added that he has not decided about joining the Congress party ahead of the elections.
Talking about the exit of another BJP leader belonging to the Lingayat community, Laxman Savadi after being denied a ticket, who later joined Congress, Shettar said that it would hamper the BJP in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls.
As per the sources, Shettar is likely to join Congress today. After his resignation from Sirsi, he will first visit Hubballi from where he will take a special flight to reach Bengaluru. In the presence of top Congress leadership, he will join the party, sources said.
As per the BJP top source, after Pradhan and CM Bommai held a meeting with Shettar, BJP's top brass also called him and offered him the post of Governor and central minister but Shettar denied all the offers.
"He said that he only wants to work as MLA for his constituency. He has no desire for any big post. Now finally he has decided to resign from the party and he will not retreat from his decision," Shettar's close aide told ANI.
Karnataka will go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will be done on May 13.