Discontent erupts in BJP as ministerial aspirants feel let down

Bengaluru: Discontent seems to be brewing within the ruling BJP in Karnataka, with ministerial aspirants who could not make it to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's Cabinet and their supporters openly expressing their displeasure and also several districts not getting any representation.

Thirteen districts - Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Ramanagara, Kodagu, Raichur, Hassan, Vijayapura, Ballari, Davangere, Kolar, Yadgir, Chikkamagaluru and Chamarajanagara have not got any representation in the Cabinet. Also, a couple of ministers who were part of the previous B S Yediyurappa cabinet, but could not make it to Bommai's ministry expressed their discontent. Former ministers who didn't make it to the new cabinet include Jagadish Shettar (who opted out of the ministry citing seniority as a former CM), Suresh Kumar, Laxman Savadi, Arvind Limbavali, C P Yogeshwar, Shrimant Patil and R Shankar. Expressing displeasure over not being inducted, Shankar, who is among the legislators who had joined the BJP after quitting the Congress-JD(S) coalition in 2019, said he was surprised as to why he was not made a minister, "despite assurance".

However, he expressed hope of being part of the ministry in the days to come. Shrimant Patil, who had become minister in Yediyurappa cabinet after quitting the Congress and winning subsequent bypolls, too expressed similar opinion on not being part of the Bommai cabinet. Senior BJP leader and MLA from Krishnaraja constituency in Mysuru district, S A Ramadas said he had expected a ministerial post and that the district would get the representation. "I had got congratulatory messages till last night, but don't know what changed at the last minute."

He said Yediyurappa too had told him that he had suggested his name.

Hitting out at Bommai for not inducting him, Haveri MLA Neharu Olekar said, "I'm from the SC community. I have got elected three times and despite being a party loyalist, I'm not made minister...the reason for this is because Bommai feels that I'm inferior." Stating that neither Yediyurappa nor the high command came to his support, he said "wait and see what will happen in the days to come, I 'm talking to my people...but I will not quit the party, will try to bring things to the notice of central leaders and Sangh Parivar." Olekar's supporters even staged a protest in the city demanding that their leader be made minister. Yediyurappa confidant and MLA M P Renukacharya said injustice was done to Davangere. "The district has no representation in the cabinet. People are pained by it. We asked for ministerial berth for one of the MLAs from Davanagere. But that did not happen...I have brought it to the notice of Yediyurappa and the CM," he said. Supporters of Kalaburagi South MLA Dattatraya Chandrashekhar Patil Revoor staged a protest in the city accusing the BJP of not giving adequate representation to Kalyana Karnataka region.

They alleged that their leader's name was dropped from the list of ministers at the last minute and demanded answers from the BJP leaders as to why injustice was being done to them. Several supporters of Shorapur MLA Narasimha Nayak (Raju Gouda), who had gathered in the city hoping that their leader would become a minister, staged a protest. Addressing supporters, Nayak told his supporters that Bommai had called him assuring him a chance next time, but he rejected the offer stating that he will become minister for full term when the party comes back to power in 2023 polls, and not in this government.

Aland MLA Subhash Guttedar's supporters staged a protest in the city demanding minister's post to their leader, and they were detained by police, while supporters of Arvind Bellad held demonstrations in Hubballi alleging injustice. Bellad was even seen as a contender to the CM post. Meanwhile, a person claiming to be a supporter of state BJP vice president BY Vijayendra, Yediyurappa's younger son, cut his hand in protest and said he was pained as his leader was not made minister. "Without Vijayendra..it is not a cabinet," he said. Responding to a question on Vijayendra's induction, earlier today, Bommai had said, "the national president has spoken to Yediyurappa and the national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh spoke to Vijayendra personally. I can only say, Vijayendra's name is not there in the list today."