BELAGAVI: After missing a berth in Bommai Cabinet, Kagwad MLA Shrimant Patil is leaving no stone unturned to make it back. With an eye on the five vacant berths, he is now playing the caste card.
On Monday, Patil made no bones about his desire for a ministerial berth. “I have worked as a minister. I am not one who will settle for the chairmanship of a board.” Patil, who belongs to the Maratha community, is lobbying hard with the help of community leaders.
Recently, some Maratha leaders had urged Bommai to accommodate Patil under Maratha quota. “I am confident of getting a good position in the coming days. I will work to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted by the party. The high command should show inclination to hand me a big responsibility,” he said. Patil was among the turncoats who dumped the Congress-JDS combine to join the BJP.