‘Give it to the Sanyasi’

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Our Karnataka legislators take their annual pilgrimages very seriously, whether it’s wearing black to appease Lord Ayyappa or saffron to placate Datta Mala. Few more so than Chikmagalur MLA C.T. Ravi, who is an ardent follower of Datta Mala and has taken to strict observation of the rituals, even if it means attending the Belagavi session barefoot, in saffron attire. He does, however, get his leg pulled and his saffron robes have earned him the nickname ‘supreme leader’. Recently, BJP strongman B.S Yediyurappa invited Ravi for coffee at the Assembly lounge. Usually, the former CM doesn’t like eating out, even if it’s a quick beverage but they were both seen enjoying their cuppa. When the waiter arrived with the bill, it was BSY who got one up on the usually quick-witted Ravi, saying, “Give it to the Sanyasi?” Ravi laughed, and paid the tab.

‘The person you are trying to reach...’

Getting in touch with an MLA is difficult and frustrating, especially for the common people. Usually, phones are left with personal assistants, who promise the MLA will call back. Of course, they never do. They seem to have been getting a taste of their own medicine, though, for a group of BJP legislators surrounded Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai at the BJP Legislature Party Meeting, pleading with him to please talk to the ministers, who never answer their phones.

While telling people to answer their phones is not a job for the Chief Minister, Bommai did take a minute to do so. Our MLAs have that luxury, now to whom do the rest of us turn?

Cat fight

Health and Medical Education Minister Dr.K.Sudhakar and Sports Minister C.Narayanagowda are known for washing dirty linen in public. After the announcement of Council results, the health minister told the media that it was unfortunate that the BJP candidate lost by a narrow margin in Mandya, saying they should have worked a little harder to win the seat. When the media brought this to the notice of Narayanagowda, he lost temper, saying, “Who is Sudhakar to talk about the Mandya election. Let him focus on Chikkaballapur. I am the in-charge minister of Mandya district and I know well why our party candidate lost.” This is not the first time the duo have fought in public. We hear that it happens in the Cabinet meetings too.