Bengaluru: There are high chances of Jagadish Shettar contesting as a Congress candidate in the by-elections to be held on June 30 for the Legislative Council. The Election Commission will hold by-polls to three seats of Karnataka Legislative Council on June 30, which fell vacant following the resignation of three members who contested the Assembly elections in the Karnataka. They were Baburao Chinchansur, Laxman Savadi and R. Shankar. Jagadish Shettar, who left the BJP and joined the Congress before the Assembly elections, contested from the Hubballi-Dharawad Central constituency and lost. In this backdrop, the Congress High Command has decided to appoint him as a Member of the Legislative Council.
Also there is news that he might be contesting for the Parliament elections if not given a ticket for Council elections. However, Shettar will be consulted before the High Command takes any call in this regard.
Since Shettar joined the Congress, it has given more weightage for the party. He may have lost personally, but the party won in a landslide. The message needs to go to the entire country that the Congress treats its members with respect. In this backdrop, party sources said that the Congress High Command has decided to make Shettar the candidate for the Upper House election.
Minister N. S. Boseraju and Former Minister Baburao Chinchansur are said to be the candidates for the remaining two seats. Also, KPCC State General Secretary M. Rajkumar who has worked in in the Congress for last 25 years has requested to nominate his name. He has good rapport with all the senior leaders and party workers of the Congress and has been a loyal supporter.
Many people are eyeing the seat of Shankar, who resigned from the seat of Legislative Council and contested as an Independent candidate from Ranebennur constituency. The tenure of this position is till June 30, 2026. KPCC Vice-President K. C. Venugopal, who was a council member for only one and a half years earlier, did not get an opportunity after that. Now, they are pressuring to give them an opportunity again.