BENGALURU: After his previous trip to New Delhi was cut short, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi -- who aspires to be deputy chief minister -- is all set to pick up from where he left off: He will visit the national Capital on Monday and meet senior leaders of the BJP including national president JP Nadda.
Ramesh Jarkiholi had to cut short his Delhi trip in August after Union Home Minister Amit Shah tested positive for Covid-19 and many senior leaders of the BJP including Union ministers had to be in home quarantine. Chief minister BS Yediyurappa testing positive for Covid-19 too compelled Jarkiholi to make a comeback, abandoning plans of lobbying to be elevated as deputy chief minister and to retain his water resources portfolio.
Jarkiholi is scheduled to return to Karnataka on Wednesday, just before the next cabinet meeting is scheduled. If not for Covid-19 playing spoilsport, the B S Yediyurappa cabinet would have witnessed a rejig right before the scheduled cabinet meeting on August 20. Sources from the BJP suggest that while three legislators - Umesh Katti, MTB Nagaraj and R Shankar - two of whom were elected to the Legislative Council, are sure to be inducted into the cabinet, hectic lobbying is underway to replace some existing ministers in the Yediyurappa cabinet.
Jarkiholi is said to be lobbying for a portfolio for H Vishwanath - who was nominated to the Council - and also seeks to replace Laxman Savadi as Deputy Chief Minister. With Umesh Katti is keen on obtaining the water resources portfolio that is currently being held by Jarkiholi, the latter is said to be trying to reach an agreement with the BJP central leadership of giving up his current portfolio in lieu of another ministry and the DyCM post. Sources from the BJP suggest that at least four incumbent ministers including Women and Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle are likely to be dropped to make way for new faces in the cabinet.