VIJAYAPURA: With Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa expected to expand or rejig his Cabinet sometime soon, MLAs from Vijayapura and Bagalkot district have joined the bandwagon lobbying for cabinet berths.
Vijayapura City MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal and Muddibehal MLA A S Patil Nadahalli, who is chairman of the Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation, both from Vijayapura district; Bilagi MLA Murugesh Nirani and Hungund MLA Doddanagouda Patil, from Bagalkot district, have pinned their hopes on securing berths, though they chose to play it down.
At present, six posts are vacant in the 34-member cabinet and the CM will have to accommodate recently nominated MLCs M T B Nagaraj, R Shankar and A H Vishwanath. While denying rumours of lobbying for a ministry, MLA Nadahalli told TNIE, “Every politician dreams of becoming a minister at least once in their political career. It is left to the CM on who to induct into the cabinet.
If he blesses us, we will work to develop the state, but if he doesn’t, we will continue to work in our constituencies. I will not knock on any door or even lobby for a cabinet berth.” On his part, Yatnal asserted, “I have never asked Yediyurappa to include me in his cabinet.
I will react on the cabinet expansion only after November 25. All I fight is for the funds in order to develop my constituency.” Doddangouda Patil and Murugesh Nirani, who had expressed disappointment over their non-inclusion in the cabinet, however, they said they will continue to work for
the party.