Ministerial aspirants pin hopes on CM’s Delhi visit

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

With Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai leaving for New Delhi on a three-day visit, ministerial aspirants are now looking at the national capital expecting some good news from the high command.

But, on Sunday, Bommai clarified that he had sought the appointment with Delhi leaders including BJP National President J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but it had not been confirmed so far because of the ongoing parliament session as well as Assembly elections in five states. “I will meet them only if I get a chance to interact with them”, he told the media near his RT Nagar residence here.

According to the itinerary, Bommai is leaving on Monday and is expected to return on Wednesday after having a breakfast meeting with state MPs, meetings with several Union ministers over pending projects and a discussion with advocates representing Karnataka in the Supreme Court on inter-state water disputes. The CM has not sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he would be busy in the ongoing parliament session.

Aspirants in Delhi Ahead of the CM’s visit, many aspirants have already reached Delhi to meet their mentors and ‘godfathers’ and request them to impress upon BJP top guns to induct them during the Cabinet reshuffle. Prominent among them are the CM’s Political Secretary and Honnali MLA M.P. Renukacharya, Vijayapura City MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal and Chitradurga MLA Tippareddy.

Ramesh Jarkiholi who had resigned because of the alleged sex CD scam, too has staked claim to a berth after the Special Investigation Team submitted its findings to the High Court. Asuming that the SIT might have given him a clean chit, the Gokak MLA met former CM of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis to put pressure on the high command for his re-induction. But the high command is not keen on this after the dubious role he played during the Legislative Council poll that resulted in the defeat of the official BJP candidate against his own brother, Lakhan Jarkiholi. Besides, adequate representation had been given to Belagavi district and giving one more berth will definitely anger those in BJP strongholds.

Not in a hurry

A senior minister told News Trail that the high command is in no hurry as it is busy with the crucial Assembly elections in five states. The immediate priority before Delhi leaders is retaining Uttar Pradesh rather than get involved in the Cabinet rejig. National leaders will be free after March 10, if everything goes as per their expectations, and they may then give the go-ahead for the Cabinet rejig.

However a few MLAs are not ready to wait for one more month for the reshuffle and are regularly making statements on the subject. The minister also said the statements made against senior ministers by Renukacharya and others have not been taken lightly by the high command.