Jagadish Shettar is likely to join the Congress today.

Bengaluru/New Delhi:

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar is all set to join the Congress after being denied a ticket to contest the upcoming assembly elections.

Jagadish Shettar, who arrived at the Congress office in Bengaluru, will join the party today, sources said.

Mr Shettar resigned as an MLA and from the primary membership of the BJP yesterday.

Shortly after quitting the BJP, Jagadish Shettar met senior leaders of the BJP late last evening to clear the decks for his entry into that party.

Mr Shettar met Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, party state president DK Shivakumar and veteran leader Siddaraimah in Bengaluru. He flew from Hubballi to Bengaluru in a special chopper to meet the Congress leaders, reported the news agency PTI.

Mr Shettar was reportedly advised by the party to withdraw his candidature, and not seek a fresh term as MLA from the Hubli-Dharwad Central segment.

He had threatened to contest one way or the other and did not rule out fighting as an independent.

Mr Shettar had held a press conference last week saying that he received a call from Delhi where a senior party functionary asked him to drop his candidature to make way for young people. He said this was “not acceptable” to him.

“I am not the kind of person who is adamant and stubborn, but this time I am being stubborn because the party has humiliated me,” he said.

The Lingayat leader also alleged there was a systematic conspiracy against him.

The BJP said Mr Shettar has chosen himself over the party. Several options were given to Jagdish Shettar and the party never asked him to retire from politics, said BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa hitting out at the former chief minister.

“He was given several options including a ticket being promised to a family member. The party also offered him to make a Rajya Sabha member and a Union Minister,” he said.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Jagadish Shettar personally on Saturday. Mr Bommai said BJP has given the maximum number of ministerships to the Lingayat community.

The Karnataka BJP has released two lists of candidates for the assembly election to be held next month, but 12 more candidates – including one for the Hubballi-Dharwad seat – are yet to be announced for the 224-member assembly.

Mr Shettar has won six elections in the past. He won by over 21,000 votes in the last assembly election in 2018, defeating his Congress rival Mahesh Nalwad.

Senior leader Laxman Savadi had also quit the BJP and joined Congress last week. Laxman Savadi is a loyalist of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and one of the most powerful Lingayat leaders in the state, known for his organizational skills.

Even before the list was announced, another senior leader, KS Eshwarappa, announced his retirement from electoral politics. Sources say he had received hints that he would be dropped.

Karnataka will vote on May 10; votes will be counted three days later.