BENGALURU: Apart from the daily fires that the Congress is busy putting out, another new explosive challenge has risen from within in the form of former minister Ramalinga Reddy, a seven-time MLA. In an interview with The New Indian Express, Reddy spoke of how the party had not cared enough for the seniors.
“These men were with the BJP just the other day and now they are being appointed ministers,” he said, referring to two independent MLAs slated for induction into the coalition government’s cabinet.
“They said that seniors would be kept out of the cabinet but seniors like RV Deshpande, DK Shivakumar and G Parameshwara are still ministers,” he said. “You cannot selectively apply rules.”
Chikballapur MLA Dr K Sudhakar said, “Senior leaders have sacrificed for the party, Ramalinga Reddy is not at fault.’’ JDS state president H Vishwanath termed Ramalinga Reddy a ‘gentleman’. On Tuesday, supporters of Reddy gathered outside the state Congress office and protested, asking for him to begiven a cabinet berth.
TNIE caught up with the senior Congress leader who answered a few quick questions.