Defeat Shettar and Savadi at any cost, BJP’s ‘Chanakya’s diktat to party workers

"Shah held a secret meeting with senior BJP leaders at a hotel in Hubballi and worked out strategies to defeat former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar from Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency and former Deputy Chief Minister, Lakshman Savadi from Athani in Belagavi district. The ‘Chanakya’ of the BJP Is very upset with both leaders for leaving the party"

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Seething with anger, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed the rank and file of the Dharwad and Belgagavi districts to defeat two senior BJP leaders who have joined the Congress Party following the denial of BJP tickets.

According to highly placed sources, Shah held a secret meeting with senior BJP leaders at a hotel in Hubballi and worked out strategies to defeat former chief minister Jagadish Shettar from Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency and former deputy chief minister, Lakshman Savadi from Athani in Belagavi district.

The ‘Chanakya’ of the BJP Is very upset with both leaders for leaving the party after enjoying power and positions all these years. Shah is said to have explained that the party wanted to nominate Shettar to the Rajya Sabha and make him a Union minister.

The party had given a free hand to the former CM to suggest any name from his family or any party worker to whom the ticket would be given to contest from the Hubballi constituency. However, he decided to join the Congress.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who were closeted with Shah for more than two hours explained to him that the voters of Hubballi have supported the BJP and would not support the Congress Party at any cost. Shah wanted booth-level workers to work day and night for the victory of the BJP candidate, Mahesh Tenginkai, a Banajiga like Jagadish Shettar.

Regarding Savadi, Shah asked Gokak BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi to ensure that the former deputy chief minister was defeated in Athani. When Savadi lost in the 2018 Assembly polls, the party made him Deputy Chief Minister much against the wish of many leaders, and also nominated him to the Legislative Council, the leaders recalled.