Jagadish Shettar and Mahesh Tenginkai to face off in a heated contest for Hubli Central

In the upcoming election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Mahesh Tenginkai, who serves as the state BJP general secretary, as its candidate for the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency. He will be contesting against former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, the Congress nominee.

Tenginkai was elated after getting the news of his candidature; he said he was “honored and humbled” by the party’s decision and quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as saying, “We have to work together for the development of Karnataka and the nation.” He also thanked BJP President Amit Shah and state president B S Yeddyurappa for their support and guidance.

Mahesh Tenginkai is a prominent leader of the Lingayat community, which has a sizable presence in the Hubli-Dharwad region. He has been associated with the BJP for over two decades and has held various positions in the party organisation. He is also a successful businessman and a social worker.

Tenginkai said he was grateful to the party leadership for giving him this opportunity and expressed confidence that he would win the seat with the support of the people and the party workers. He said he would work hard to fulfil the aspirations of the voters and bring development to the constituency.

Jagadish Shettar joined the Congress party on Monday in the presence of party officials in Bangalore. Shettar, a BJP leader for over three decades, said he was “disappointed” with the BJP’s policies and “attracted” by the Congress’s vision. “I have decided to join the Congress to serve the people of Karnataka and the nation better,” he said.

Jagadish Shettar is a veteran politician and a six-time MLA from Hubli-Dharwad Central. He was the Chief Minister of Karnataka from 2012 to 2013 and is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. He is also a Lingayat leader and enjoys a loyal following in his constituency.

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Shettar said he was ready to face any challenge and claimed that he had done a lot of work to develop Hubli-Dharwad Central.

He said he had a good rapport with the people and was confident of retaining his seat. He accused the BJP of indulging in divisive politics and neglecting the interests of Karnataka.

The contest between Tenginkai and Shettar is expected to be a close one, as both are popular leaders of the same community and have strong organisational backing.

The outcome of this seat may impact the overall result of the election, as Hubli-Dharwad Central is considered to be a bellwether constituency.