BENGALURU: Former JDS state president-turned-rebel Adagur Vishwanath may have lost the Hunsur assembly seat in the recent byelection and missed the bus to the state cabinet, but he is hopeful of becoming a member of the legislative council and a minister, as assured by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.
As many as 13 council seats will fall vacant in June this year. Until then, Vishwanath, who is now in the BJP, is spearheading a major OBC push with a Kuruba community meet in Delhi on March 1.
The community has a population of about 13 crore in the country. Vishwanath said they will host the jayanti of saint-poet ‘Kanakadasa’ in the national capital, which will serve as a show of Kuruba strength and unity. Among the invitees are Kuruba leaders from various parties and states.
They include opposition leader in Karnataka Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Goa DyCM Chandrakant Kavlekar, YSRCP MP Gorantla Madhava, Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra Vikas M and Delhi AAP MLA Dinesh M.
At a meeting attended by Congress leader H M Revanna among others, Vishwanath called upon the community to collectively work for the upliftment of backward classes across the nation.