S.A. Ramdas, former Minister, was conspicuous by his absence at the Dasara Executive Committee Meeting convened by Minister in-charge of Mysuru district V. Somanna on Saturday.
Mr. Ramdas, who represents Krishnaraja Assembly constituency, had vowed to fully engage himself in the work for the festival even though he had not been accommodated in the State Cabinet. But, he was missing at the first Dasara meeting. Though Mr. Somanna cited the MLAs preoccupation with work as the reason for his absence, it is widely believed that Mr. Ramdas was sulking over the BJP leaders’ decision to ignore him during the Cabinet formation earlier this week.
Mr. Ramdas, who had shared his disappointment after he was denied a berth in the Cabinet, said he would be involved in the preparatory meetings for Dasara just like he had gone around helping flood-hit victims in the district. However, after participating in the Gajapayana – the symbolic start of the Dasara elephants march to Mysuru palace from their forest abode in Veeranahosahalli in Hunsur, he stayed away both from the meeting convened by Minister R. Ashok on Thursday and the one on Saturday.
After the Cabinet formation, Mr. Ramdas had shared his disappointment over the imminent ‘imposition’ of an in-charge Minister from outside the district.
“While three to four persons come to represent Mysuru district whenever Congress or JD(S) forms the government, there is no representation from the district when the BJP comes to power,” sources close to Mr. Ramdas lamented.Even during the previous BJP regime, Shobha Karandlaje was appointed Minister in-charge initially. Mr. Ramdas, who was unable to make the Ministry even when the first BJP Cabinet was formed after the 2008 polls, was made a Minister for Medical Education only in 2010 after a stint as Parliamentary Secretary to the CM.
Sources said his name figured in the list cleared by the Centre and sent to Bengaluru. However, it was not in the list sent to the Governor before the swearing-in. They also claimed that Mr. Ramdas received a congratulatory call from the CM’s office a day before the swearing-in and the DPAR also called him to collect passes for entry to Raj Bhavan for the ceremony while officials from the Intelligence Department called to inform him that an escort would be provided to him to attend the programme at Raj Bhavan.
