BENGALURU: A meeting of ministers held at Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara’s office at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, in the presence of Valmiki community religious head Sri Prasannanandapuri Swamiji, created a buzz in political circles. Parameshwara, PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna, and Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa discussed various issues, including political developments, sources said.
Parameshwara, however, clarified on Friday that he did not hold any meeting with ministers. “Yesterday, the swamiji of the Valmiki community came to my office in Vidhana Soudha to invite me to the annual fair at Rajanahalli Mutt. Rajanna and Satish Jarkiholi came to know that the swamiji was in my office, and they came. All of us took the swamiji’s blessings,” he maintained.
He did not mention why Mahadevappa had also joined them. “It was all about politics we discussed,” quipped Satish sarcastically. According to sources, Jarkiholi is planning to pull a huge crowd from the ST community at the Rajanahalli Mutt annual fair on 8 and 9 February in Harihara taluk of Davanagere district. This will help him send a strong political message to the Congress high command that he is the undisputed leader of the Valmiki community.
Former BJP minister B. Sriramulu, who also staked a claim to the position, has lost his charm, having been defeated in elections consecutively, a political analyst said. SC/ST ministers, who are upset with the Congress party high command, particularly AICC General Secretary and state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, for the instruction not to hold a separate meeting for SC/ST MLAs, are also likely to rally behind Jarkiholi, the analyst added.
If there is a change in the chief minister’s post and the high command chooses either Parameshwara or Jarkiholi, they will unite. If Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s name comes to the fore, they will support Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to continue in the post for some more time, a Congress leader said.