Davangere, Jan 15: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on January 14 threatened to resign when the seer of 'Panchamasali Guru Peetha' warned that the community will leave him, if a BJP MLA from the community is not made the minister during the upcoming cabinet expansion.
The chief minister, who is awaiting the BJP high command's nod to expand his cabinet, amid intense lobbying by the aspirants, wanted the seer Vachanananda swamiji and the 'Panchamasali' community to understand his "situation." Yediyurappa pointed out that he has come to power because of the Congress-JD(S) legislators who rebelled against the then coalition government.
The incident took place when Vachanananda swamiji, while addressing an event at Harihara, near here, said "chief minister, you are a good person, Murugesh Nirani (BJP MLA)has helped you a lot, he has stood by you..if you leave his hands this time, the united Panchamasali community will leave your hands." As the swamiji was making this statement, Yediyurappa, who was seated next to him, rose and threatened to leave the stage.
"If you speak like this I will go away...what are you speaking...kindly pardon me, I will leave, you should not speak like this, if you speak like this I can't work..you can give me suggestions, you cannot threaten me," he said, as the swamiji tried to convince Yediyurappa and asked him to take his seat.
As Yediyurappa acceded to his request, the seer said he was not threatening him but was putting forward the rights of the community. The chief minister, who was visibly upset, was seen talking to Home minister Basavaraj Bommai next to him, who even tried to convince the seer not to continue with the topic. Nirani, a MLA from Bilgi who was Industries minister in the previous Yediyurappa government, was seated on the stage when the incident occurred.
Later addressing the event, Yediyurappa said he was not "selfish" and was even ready to resign.
"Vachanananda swamiji has spoken, through you I request him to understand my situation also. If 17 legislators (Congress-JDS), few even as ministers, had not resigned and stayed away, Yediyurappa could not have occupied this Chief Minister position.
You (swamiji) need not make people raise their hands on any demand, if you tell me, I'm ready to listen to you," he said.
Stating that he was ready to take suggestions from the swamiji on all issues, including on how to run the administration for the next 3 years, Yediyurappa said "I'm ready to bow my head and listen to it, if you don't want I'm even ready to resign and go home, I'm not someone who wants to stick to the chair."
Further noting that if he says that the financial condition of the state is not good it will become headline in papers tomorrow, he said he will have to wait till March for the situation to improve.
"I dont have selfishness, I'm aware that if the Panchamasali-Lingayat community had not stood by me, I could have not sat on this chair (CM)... but kindly understand my situation also," he added.
Yediyurappa is expected to expand his ministry later this month after discussing with BJP national president Amit Shah during his visit to the state on January 18.
As the chief minister has already made it clear that 11 of the disqualified JDS-Congress MLAs who got re-elected in the bypolls on BJP tickets will be made ministers, lobbying has been on within the party for the remaining ministerial berths.
Currently there are 18 Ministers, including the chief minister in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34.
The cabinet expansion will not be an easy task for the chief minister as he will have to strike a balance by accommodating the victorious disqualified legislators as promised and also make place for the old guard, upset at being "neglected" in the first round of the induction exercise.
He also has to give adequate representation to various castes and regions in his cabinet and also deal with allocation of key portfolios.
Comments
I request my muslims brothers and sisters please dont vote MIM because they do nothing for minority people in hyderabad. Always both brothers polarise the vote bank politics and come into power but development is zero. Since thier late father salauddin owaisi is also playing the same role. Please elect the correct person who can do good for all communities in secular way.
But you have to understand, it is a simple ploy by BJP to break the opposition. The same happened at the centre. The same will happen in Karnataka if you divert votes. Atleast, Karnataka is away from all the dirty politics BJP plays once it comes to power. Look at what is happening in UP. You want them to come in power, choose to vote for a party which doesn't have a chance to get majority. And don't crib about it later, that a party is in power which doesn't care about Muslims. Choose your vote wisely. Nothing against Mr Owaisi, but to cast ur vote for a party which doesn't have a clear cut chance to be in power - is simply contributing towards the success of BJP's plan. Simple divide n rule!
In my opinion MIM should coordinate with local political party and avoid splitting of minority votes thereby supporting bjp. MIM should contest on its own only if its 100 percent sure to win otherwise votes given to MIM will be waste and it will benefit anti national bjp. Congress less better than bjp.
SO WHAT IF BJP COMES TO POWER IN KARNATAKA........ FOR MUSLIMS BOTH BJP AND CONGRESS ARE SAME... BOTH THEY DONT SUPPORT MUSLIMS AND THEY DONT EVEN CARE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSLIMS.... DEAR CONGRESS LEADER, JUST CHEKC YOUR LAST ELECTION MANIFESTO FOR MUSLIMS AND CHECK HOW MANY POINTS YOU HAVE COMPLETED FOR MUSLIMS.... BJP PLAYING OPENLY AND CONGRESS FROM THE BACK SIDE OF THE MUSLIMS LIFE...... NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOTH THE PARTIES........... SO MUSLIMS VOTE FOR OTHER PARTY THAN CONGRESS... CONGRESS IS JUST USING MUSLIMS AS VOTE BANK AND NO RESERVATION, NO DEVELOPMENT, NO PROTECTION, NO COMPENSATION, NO JUSTICE FOR MUSLIMS.... IF MUSLIM KILLED NO CONGRESS LEADER WILL COME FORWARD FOR JUSTICE... NOT EVEN MUSLIM LEADERS OF CONGRESS PARTY WILL COME.....
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