Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar, who had announced that he would resign as Hubli – Dharwad Central MLA after he was denied the Party ticket for the May 10 State Assembly election, finally handed over his resignation letter to Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri at Sirsi this noon.

Kageri made last minute efforts to convince Shettar to take back his resignation and also called Union Home Minister Amit Shah over phone and made Shettar to speak with him.   Shettar, who was the leader of the Opposition when the Congress was in power in the State, said he would contest the poll for sure.

Shettar was the sitting MLA from Hubli-Dharwad Central. The BJP High Command earlier in the week had reportedly asked him to opt out the election which left the senior leader upset.

“I have decided to resign from the Legislative Assembly,” a visibly upset Shettar had told reporters in Hubli last evening and had sought an appointment with Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, who is at Sirsi.

Recalling his contribution to the BJP by holding key posts, including that of Assembly Speaker he held in the State, Shettar said, “They (party leaders) have not understood Jagadish Shettar yet, which is seen by the way they humiliated me. I am upset over the way they ignored me, which made me think I should not sit quiet and I must challenge them. In view of this I had been saying that I will contest in this election.”

He also alleged there was a systematic conspiracy against him and added that he was never an indurate person but the BJP forced him to become one.