BENGALURU: On his return from New Delhi to Belagavi, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Saturday rubbished reports that his party would replace Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.
He said speculations that there would be a change of guard in the state was simply a ‘media creation’ and nothing else. Jarkiholi had visited Delhi thrice recently in a bid to exert pressure on the BJP bosses for the induction of some of legislators from his group in the state cabinet.
Although he is keen to push his close associates like MLC C P Yogeshwar, Shankar and A H Vishwanath into the cabinet, however, he said here that he will be happy if eight-time MLA Umesh Katti is included in the cabinet too.
The legislators who switched to BJP from other political parties and then got elected in the bypolls should be included in the cabinet, he said while expressing hope that some of them would certainly find a slot.
Sources close to Jarkiholi said several top BJP leaders in New Delhi supported his demand for inclusion of at least three of legislators from his group including Yogeshwar and Shankar. Jarkiholi is also insisting that Yogeshwar be made Deputy Chief Minister by replacing one of the three DCMs, but the party is not keen on it, sources added.
renukacharya keeps his hopes up
Davanagere: “I had done a lot of hard work when I was Excise Minister. I am hoping this will get me a berth in the state cabinet,” said M P Renukacharya, MLA, on Saturday. He said that there was a great regional imbalance in the present cabinet and it should be removed in the wake of the forthcoming panchayat elections. “Davangere district strongly needs representation in the cabinet and it will improve the BJP’s base in the district,” he said. Renukacharya recently visited New Delhi and met party leaders and apprised them of the benefits to the party if he became a minister.