BENGALURU: Former Minister for Home and Water Resources and Congress Lingayat strongman MB Patil on Friday dropped a surprise by visiting Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s residence. Patil, MLA from Babaleshwar, maintained that the visit was official, and its purpose was to draw the CM’s attention to the water needs of drought-hit villages in Indi taluk.
“I made a request for financial assistance to provide irrigation to drought-hit villages of Indi taluk by filling 16 tanks from the Krishna river through the Tidagundi aqueduct. He has informally agreed to the same,” Patil told the media after the meeting.
The Congress leader added that the aqueducts were approved during his ministership, but had been lying useless despite being constructed due to lack of funds. Within hours, Yediyurappa directed the water resources department to act on the issue and a letter was shot off to the Krishna Region Water Board, seeking the cost of the works -- about Rs 140 crore -- be included under expenditure estimate for Upper Krishna Project Phase-3.
Patil was prompt to thank Yediyurappa for acting quickly.
Patil’s visit and its timing assume importance, given that Yediyurappa and his supporters are working towards retaining the support of the Lingayat community and seers with him. Patil’s unannounced visit has also reignited murmurs of him being approached by the BJP to join its fold.
His visit also takes the limelight off of the incessant sparring between supporters of CLP leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shivakumar in the Congress over the party’s next chief ministerial candidate. Patil also nurses aspirations of being considered for the top post. His meet with Yediyurappa also comes at a time when BJP’s Basanagouda Patil Yatnal -- another Lingayat leader -- has been publicly seeking Yediyurappa’s ouster.