BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has managed to convince Aland Congress MLA BR Patil to attend the state legislature session starting from December 4 in Belagavi, thereby saving his government from a major embarrassment during the session. Siddaramaiah said he had held discussions with Patil and persuaded him to attend the session. “The CM held discussions with me and I will be attending the session,” Patil told The New Indian Express on Thursday.
Sources said during the meeting, the CM is said to have told the Congress MLA that he would seek an explanation from Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda about his remarks. Patil had expressed displeasure over the remarks made against him by Byre Gowda in the last session of the Assembly while responding to his question on works given to Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (formerly Karnataka Land Army Corporation Limited).
In the absence of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) minister Priyank Kharge, Byre Gowda had responded to Patil’s question. In a letter to the Chief Minister, the Congress MLA had stated that he would not attend the session till the probe was ordered and completed. Patil had stated that the minister had accused him of corruption and that had hurt his self-respect.
Soon after the MLA wrote to the minister seeking a probe, the Opposition BJP slammed Siddaramaiah over differences within the ruling party. Meanwhile, Byre Gowda on Thursday issued a statement clarifying that he had not made any remarks that could cast any doubts on the party MLA. The minister said Patil is a senior legislator and respected leader and he had not issued any statement that could cast any doubts on the MLA.