Karwar (DHNS): Former MLA Sharada Shetty withdrew the nomination she had filed as an independent (Congress rebel) candidate from Kumta-Honnavar Assembly Constituency on Monday, the last day for withdrawal of nominations.

She also announced her retirement from active politics and has decided to stay away from Congress party activities also.

With this development, Congress candidate from Kumta Nivedith Alva has been relieved of the ‘rebel’ factor that was troubling him.

Speaking at a press conference at her residence in Kumta on Monday, Shetty said that her husband and former MLA Late Mohan Shetty worked for the progress of Congress for around 30 years. She continued the work and organised the Congress party for around ten years. As the political environment in Kumta is in favour of Congress this time, she approached the Congress seeking candidature for one last time. But the party meted out injustice to her and this upset her.

‘I don’t need sympathy’

“I am confident that I would have won the elections even if I contested as an independent candidate but I do not have time. The KPCC president called me over phone and assured giving the MLC post or the chief of some board or corporation. But I neither need their sympathy nor the post,” Shetty said.

‘Upset for supporters’

She added that the only thing that has upset her is that her supporters have been left in the lurch now. She also thanked former Zilla Panchayat member Shivanand Hegde who supported her when she filed her nomination as a rebel candidate.

From now on, she said, she will engage in activities of the Late Mohan Shetty Trust which she has been running for several years.

‘No question of joining BJP’

On a query over whether she will join BJP, Shetty said that she has been standing against the BJP all these years and there was no point in joining the BJP now.

On another query regarding her son Ravikumar Shetty backing the Congress, she said that Ravikumar will take his decision independently.