With the State Cabinet due for expansion in a few days, it seems several legislators from North Karnataka are camping in Bengaluru and New Delhi, to lobby for Ministerial berths.
Most BJP legislators in Belagavi, including those who were part of the B.S. Yediyurappa Cabinet, are said to be in the State or national capital, meeting senior leaders.
Two rumours seem to have added fuel to such efforts. One is that the party will accommodate younger faces in the Cabinet. The second one is that members of various factions within the State BJP, will be inducted. No one knows if they are true. But it is pushing several leaders to lobby for themselves and others, a senior legislator said.
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Following the defection and re-election of three legislators, the BJP has 14 MLAs in Belagavi district now. All of them have visited senior leaders in Bengaluru and New Delhi in the last week. Some have visited Mr. Yediyurappa, while others have met Sangh Parivar leaders.
Bagalkot has six BJP MLAs, including the former Ministers Govind M. Karjol and Murugesh Nirani. Vijayapura has three BJP MLAs, including Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who had openly opposed Mr. Yediyurappa.
Umesh Katti, who held a meeting of officers in Hukkeri on Monday, defended his visits to Delhi. He said that he had come back from New Delhi after meeting leaders Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda. “Is it wrong to meet my own party leaders?’’ he asked.
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He told journalists that he was no aspirant for any Ministership and that he had met the national leadership as a matter of courtesy. “If they give me an opportunity, I will serve the State as a Minister. Or else, I will serve my constituency as a legislator,” he said. He expressed the confidence that he will be made a Minister. “Even though I have not expressed my desire to be a Deputy Chief Minister, I will perform my role well, if given an opportunity,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, some organisations and party workers are demanding that their leaders be made Ministers. Members of the Madiga Samaj and Jai Bheem Sangha demanded that Duryodhan Aihole, three-time MLA from Raibag, be made a Minister. He belongs to the left-hand community among Scheduled Castes. “The community remains under represented. He has proven to be a pro-people MLA and his efforts should be recognised,’’ Ramesh Rayappagol said.
Followers of Member of Legislative Council Mahantesh Kavatagimath held a press conference in Chikkodi seeking Cabinet berth for their leader.
Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Anand Mamani has declared that he will resign from his post, irrespective of whether he was a Minister or not.