BENGALURU: There are more than a dozen ministerial berth aspirants, but Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that MLC CP Yogeshwar will definitely be made minister. Speaking to reporters after paying his respects to Kengal Hanumanthaiah on his remembrance day, Yediyurappa in a quick statement said Yogeshwar will be made a minister. His statement was in response to questions over dissent growing among ministerial berth aspirants on who will make it to the cabinet.
“Yogeshwar will be made minister one hundred per cent,” the CM said, before hurriedly walking away from the press. The statement comes a day after the Karnataka High Court said AH Vishwanath, a nominated member of the Legislative Council, continues to be disqualified and hence, cannot be made a minister.
Yogeshwar, who has the BJP central leadership’s backing, is said to have been assured of a ministerial berth as a reward for his efforts in wooing rebel MLAs of the Congress-JDS coalition government in 2019, and bringing them on board the BJP. Already miffed over the HC order, Vishwanath was left agitated after the Chief Minister’s statement.
“The way Yogeshwar worked against the party in the Hunsur bypoll, the conspiracy against the party candidate (Vishwanath) is well-known. Even before I was given the ticket, he declared that he was the candidate and distributed money and goodies to voters. Later, when CM BS Yediyurappa sent election funds — a huge amount — through him, he didn’t turn up at Hunsur at all with it. With what confidence are you making him minister? On what basis?” Vishwanath lashed out.