Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar has expressed his surprise over the reports appearing in a section of the media that the Bharatiya Janata Party was considering elevating him to the post of Deputy Chief Minister in the proposed reshuffle of the Sadananda Gowda Ministry.
“Nobody in the party discussed this issue with me and I do not know anything about this…. I came to know about this only through the reports in the media and I will not discuss such speculative issues,” the Minister told mediapersons here on Thursday.
Asked whether this was a ploy to distance him from the Yeddyurappa camp, Mr.Shettar quipped: “I come from the RSS family and am a committed loyal party worker and would always remain loyal to the ideals of the party and not to individuals.”
Mr. Shettar maintained that he stood by his earlier statement that Mr. Yeddyurappa should be given a responsible post in the party since he was a senior leader who had played a pivotal role in building the party in the State.
Asked whether he would continue to attend the meeting convened by Mr. Yeddyurappa, Mr. Shettar quipped: “I will attend all meetings convened by party leaders.” On the demand made by Mr. Yeddyurappa's loyalists to convene the legislature party meeting to discuss the letter issue, Mr. Shettar remarked: “It is for the party high command to take a call on the demand.”
Belamagi denial
Minister for Animal Husbandry Revu Naik Belamagi has denied his involvement in anti-party activities and feigned ignorance of his name figuring in the letter written by Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and party State unit president K.S. Eshwarappa to the party leadership about six Ministers allegedly involved in the anti-party activities.
Talking to mediapersons here on Thursday, Mr. Belamagi said that nobody could suspect his loyalty to the party and “even when I was offered Rs. 50 lakh to vote in favour of an independent in the Rajya Sabha elections couple of years back, I refused and voted for the party candidate, and time and again I have proved my loyalty to the party”.
He wanted the BJP legislature party meeting convened immediately to discuss all the issues, including the reported letter to the central leadership.
To a question on whether he felt insecure about his continuance as Minister in view of the proposed reshuffle of the Ministry, the Minister quipped: “I will adhere to the directions of the party leadership… for me party is supreme and not individuals”.
