KALABURGI: BJP state unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel ruled out the possibility of leadership change or cabinet reshuffle on Gujarat Model in Karnataka in near future.
Speaking with press persons here on Saturday, Kateel said that BJP central leadership has said several times that there would be no leadership change in Karnataka and the Assembly elections would be fought in the leadership of chief minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Kateel said that there would be no cabinet reshuffle but the chief minister will expand his ministry at the appropriate time giving priority to social justice and regional balance.
He brushed aside the rumors that the chief minister's relatives or his (Kateel's) relatives were involved in the Bitcoin scam. If Congress leaders were having any proof, let them approach the competent authorities with the relevant documents.
As far as me (Kateel's) is concerned my relatives will never indulge in such cases and I have not spoken even on phone to officers for any work, he said. On leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah against outburst against BJP leaders for dragging his son’s name linking with the scamster’s friend though his son has died few years back, Katil asked why Siddaramaiah and his friends have forgotten dragging the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s name and Veera Savarkar’s name though they have died.
Kateel said that his party has fielded 20 candidates in the forthcoming elections to legislative council and has targeted to win 15 seats. We are confident that BJP will win in at least 12 seats. He requested the voters of local body constituencies to exercise their franchise in favor of BJP candidates to give sufficient strength in Legislative Council to pass the bill without the support of other parties.
To a question, Kateel said that the elections to local bodies will not become a referendum on the performance of the government as the people were not directly involved in the elections.