'We did not deny a ticket to Shettar but..': BJP candidate Mahesh Tenginkai

BJP leader Mahesh Tenginkai who is facing former CM Jagadish Shettar at his constituency said that the party did not deny a ticket to him, but he denied party’s offer. He also said that the BJP high command’s decisions will not serve anyone’s personal gains.

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Speaking to news agency ANI, Mahesh said, “BJP denying a ticket to Jagadish Shettar is a lie. The party denied tickets to Eshwarappa, Ragupathi Bhatt and Ramdas but it’s Shettar who denied the party's offer. The party wants to accommodate senior leaders in a bigger position and was offered the same to Jagadish Shettar. It is he who turned down the offer and joined the Congress.”

Mahesh Tenginkai is BJP’s candidate from Hubballi – Dharwad central where Jagadish Shettar is contesting on a Congress ticket.

Former CM Yediyurappa is also campaigning in the Hubballi region and urged people to defeat Shettar and claimed that he backstabbed BJP. He said, “Jagadish Shettar has backstabbed the BJP and the members of the party. With all his selfishness, he left the party and joined the Congress. How can this happen? We should make sure he will be defeated here in Hubballi. I can write with my blood that he will lose this election on a Congress ticket.”

The elections in Karnataka will be held on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.