Former chief minister Jagdish Shettar has said that he and new Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai are good friends and his choice not to join the new cabinet was personal and should not be interpreted as a disappointment.
Shettar told reporters after meeting with RSS leaders in Keshav Kunj, here, that “I was the state’s chief minister. I joined the cabinet since Yediyurappa was considerably senior to me. And now my conscience is preventing me from joining the government, and self-respect is also an issue.”
“Not only Bommai, but if other leaders had been CM, I would not have joined the cabinet. Because they are all political juniors to me, “Shettar said.
“It is a misconception that one must be a minister in order to develop one’s constituency. When I was an MLA and Leader of the Opposition, I did a lot more work and started a lot of development initiatives,” he stated.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was planned to meet Shettar at his residence in Hubballi in the evening, however, his visit was cancelled owing to time constraints.
Before touring flood-affected districts in Uttar Kannada district, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he and Shettar are very good friends. They knew each other before they entered politics.
He says he loves Hubballi since it is where he was born, where he spent his formative years, and where he has many friends. The new chief minister promised to devote his heart and soul to develop the twin cities.
