Jagadish Shettar, a former Chief Minister of Karnataka, has blamed “money power and pressure tactics” for his defeat in the Hubli-Dharwad Central assembly constituency. Shettar had left the BJP and contested as a Congress candidate but lost to the BJP’s Mahesh Tenginakai by over 34,000 votes in the recent state elections. He accused his opponent of distributing money to voters and claimed that this was the first time a BJP candidate had done so in the last six elections.
Shettar had predicted a victory for himself and the Congress, saying that the undercurrent was in their favor. He also claimed that his quitting the BJP and raising the pitch on the Lingayats helped the Congress win in 20 to 25 seats. However, he suggested that the BJP had put in a lot of effort to defeat him, and asked whether their goal was only to defeat him or to win the entire state.
Shettar is a six-time MLA and a Lingayat heavyweight, and his defection from the BJP had caused some controversy. The BJP’s tallest Lingayat leader BS Yediyurappa had said that Shettar had “made a mistake” and that the party had promised him a Rajya Sabha membership and a ministerial position at the Centre. Shettar had claimed that he left the BJP because of “ill-treatment”.
The Karnataka state elections were closely watched as they were seen as a test of the BJP’s popularity in the southern state. The BJP had won the previous state elections in 2018, but this time, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) had allied in an attempt to defeat the BJP. However, the BJP won a majority of seats and formed the government. The elections were also significant because they were held during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were concerns about safety and voter turnout.
Shettar’s defeat and his allegations of money power and pressure tactics highlight the challenges of conducting free and fair elections in India, where money and muscle power often play a significant role in influencing voters. It also underscores the importance of political alliances and defections in Indian politics, where individual leaders and parties can have a significant impact on election outcomes.
