The BJP has betrayed the trust of the people of Belagavi by nominating Jagadish Shettar for the Lok Sabha polls, Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar said in Gokak on Thursday.
She told reporters that Jagadish Shettar has discriminated against Belagavi in the past and that his claims of Belagavi being his Karma Bhoomi are pointless.
Ms. Hebbalkar also raised the issue of outsider against Mr. Shettar. “Why has Mr. Shettar come here? Is that only to hoodwink the people of Belagavi? I would like to ask what is his contribution to the district? He has clearly worked against our interests in the past. He is saying Belagavi is his Karma Bhoomi. Are we crazy to believe such claims?,” she said.
She said that during COVID-19, Mr. Shettar conspired to shift an oxygen generating unit sanctioned for Belagavi to Hubballi. “Belagavi is a very large district and the demand for oxygen was more valid than in other areas. But leaders like Mr. Shettar snatched away the oxygen unit from us,” she said.
He was Hubballi MLA for six terms. He has enjoyed all positions, including that of the Chief Minister. He has come here after he was rejected there, she said.
She pointed out that local BJP leaders are not happy with the choice of Mr. Shettar and that they have complained to the party high command. Some BJP leaders and workers have also started a #gobackshettar campaign online as their self-esteem is hurt. In such a situation, Mr. Shettar should be ashamed of fighting from Belagavi, she said.
Mr. Shettar is defending his candidature by saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself fought the elections from another State. Is Mr. Shettar a leader of the stature of Mr. Modi? He should reflect on it, she said.
