Karnataka Polls: Pradeep Shettar re-enters poll fray

Hubballi: Almost six months ahead of the Legislative Council election from the local bodies constituency, Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar’s brother Pradeep Shettar has stepped up political activity to enter the poll fray. He has started touring Dharwad, Haveri and Gadag districts to woo the newly elected Gram Panchayat members. He is trying his luck for the second time in the council polls after he was defeated by a slender margin of 43 votes by MLC Nagaraj Chabbi of Congress in 2013.

As many as 6,000 Gram Panchayat members in the undivided Dharwad district will play a key role in deciding the fate of candidates in the fray for the Council election. Therefore, Mr Pradeep Shettar is leaving no stone upturned to keep his vote bank intact at the grassroot level. He conducted a grand felicitation programme for newly elected GP members recently. He is confident that his victory will be a cakewalk this time as the BJP has gained power in most of the local governing bodies including Zilla and taluk Panchayats, city municipalities and Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation.

“I have started conducting tours in three districts to develop a good rapport with elected representatives of local governing bodies. I am confident of victory in my second attempt in the council elections as around 3,500 newly elected GP members are loyal to BJP. I will win the election if I secure at least 2,125 votes this time”, Pradeep Shettar told Deccan Chronicle.

Pradeep had lost the election last time due to several factors including desertion of former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa from BJP to form his own political outfit, KJP. His defeat was also attributed to the Congress wave in the state soon after Siddaramaiah became Chief Minister. Now, BJP leaders claim the merger of BJP and KJP will facilitate an easy victory for Pradeep Shettar this time.