MYSURU: There seems to be pressure on Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa over the cabinet expansion. A few days ago it was Lingayat seer Vachanananda who at a public function, demanded that Yediyurappa induct Murugesh Nirani in the cabinet.
Now, it is the turn of the Kurubas. Unhappy with BJP’s decision not to induct defeated candidates, they have knocked at the doors of the Kaginele Mutt to pitch for the community.
As the suspense over the induction of the defeated candidates A H Vishwanath and MT B Nagaraj, and also former minister Shankar, all Kurubas, continues and the BJP leaders’ hints that only the newly elected 11 MLAs will make it to the ministry, the Kuruba leaders feel that not inducting the three would be a major setback to the community.
Sources said that prominent leaders and aspiring candidates held talks with Kaginele seer Niranjananadapuri Swamiji over the phone. It is said the seer had assured them he would take it up with the Chief Minister.
Vishwanath admitted that he too had spoken to the seer in this regard. He said the party promised them the moon before they resigned. The party leaders must consider our agony and humiliation instead of looking at the victory goal post, he added.
While BJP MLAs S T Somashekar and Sudhakar have said that it would be difficult for the defeated candidates to make it in the ministry, two other party MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi and Narayana Gowda want these candidates to be accommodated.
Meanwhile, M T B Nagaraj has reminded Yediyurappa to keep up his promise and not differentiate between victorious and defeated candidates as all 17 had sacrificed to install the BJP government.
Former secretary of Kuruba Sangha Ramachandrappa said that they had submitted a memorandum to the CM demanding ministerial berths.