Hours after former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar joined the Congress, Karnataka BJP leader and former minister KS Eshwarappa has written an open letter asking him to return to the party.
In his letter, KS Eshwarappa asked Shettar, “…Congress may have given you a ticket but you will not win on the ground of struggle. If Congress comes to power, they said, they will withdraw the Cow Slaughter Bill. Who will you support then…”
“DK Shivakumar & Siddaramaiah said that they will withdraw the ban on PFI if they come to power. So you support terrorism? Ask that… will your father’s soul in heaven rest in peace with the addition of Congress? You have done so much for BJP. What would you say if your grandson asks why you joined Congress? You should apologize and come back to the party that saved religion and principles. You can come back soon…” Eshwarappa wrote.
Shettar had resigned from the BJP on Sunday for being denied a ticket to contest the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections.
Shettar was inducted into the Congress in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, KPCC president DK Shivakumar and party leaders Randeep Surjewala, and former CM Siddaramaiah at the party office in Bengaluru.
Shettar’s decision to leave the saffron party came after the BJP’s central leadership clarified that he would not be accommodated in ticket distribution this time