BJP State president Nalin Kumar Kateel visited the house of the former party leader and Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi in Belagavi on Tuesday, and met the members of his family who were grieving over his death.
He spent a few quiet minutes with Angadi’s mother Somavva, his wife Mangala and daughters Spoorthi and Shraddha. He met other family members before leaving for a meeting with party workers.
Lingaraj Pati, former chairman of the Karnataka Oil Seeds Federation, and Angadi’s uncle, prevailed upon Mr. Kateel to field someone from Angadi’s family in the by-elections to the Belagavi Lok Sabha seat. “The party can nominate Angadi’s wife, one of his daughters or his brothers as a way of recognising his services to the party and the region,” he said.
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Mr. Kateel told journalists waiting outside that the party fully stands with the family. He did not answer questions about the political successor to Angadi. He said that he could not attend the funeral in Delhi or come to Belagavi earlier as he was under quarantine due to COVID-19. He said that a proposal to name the Belagavi-Bengaluru train after Angadi was before the government.
Siddaramaiah criticised
He criticised Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah as unworthy of his position. “As Chief Minister, he never visited a single farmer’s family whose bread winner had died. But now he is trying to give us lessons on farmers welfare,” he said.
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He said that the farm bills passed by the Centre were the only laws in Independent India that would empower farmers and enable them to fix prices for their produce. What is wrong in them? Why is the Congress opposing them? he questioned.