Disappointed senior legislators criticise their leaders for ‘ignoring their seniority and service’

Soon after the much-awaited expansion of the State Cabinet on Wednesday, dissidence erupted in both the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress.

Several senior legislators of the two parties expressed their anger against their respective party leaders for “ignoring their seniority and service”.

In several districts, Congress workers staged protests for denying Cabinet berths for their leaders.

Congress leaders such as M.B. Patil, H.K. Patil, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, B.C. Patil, B.K. Sangameshwar, M.T.B. Nagaraj, Satish Jarkiholi, Eshwar Khandre, N.A. Haris, S.R. Patil, and Dinesh Gundu Rao are believed to have been disappointed over the manner in which the Cabinet expansion was undertaken by the party.

Mr. M.B. Patil, former Water Resources Minister who failed to make it to the Cabinet, said he would not take any post offered by the government.

Speaking to the media after the swearing-in ceremony of new Ministers, he said, “I will call on the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara to know why I was not included in the Cabinet.”

The six-time MLA who spearheaded the movement for separate religion tag for Lingayat community, said, “My self-respect is hurt by this development. I don’t want to take up any post offered by the party hereafter. I will continue as an MLA.”

Mr. B.C. Patil, three-time MLA from Hirekerur, also blasted State and central party leaders of the Congress for denying him a Cabinet berth. “MLAs who indulged in blackmail politics and those with money power have been given Cabinet berth,” he claimed. The Congress has shut the door for sincere and committed party leaders, he alleged.

Mr. B.C. Patil, a former policeman and actor, producer and director in the Kannada film industry, said he would decide his next course of action after consulting voters of his constituency.

Mr. Nagaraj, MLA for Hoskote, and Mr. Sangameshwar, MLA for Bhadravati, too criticised party leaders. Mr. Nagaraj, one of the richest MLAs of the party, is believed to have lashed out at Mr. Siddaramaiah, who had reportedly promised him a Cabinet berth.

Mr. Sangameshwar threatened to quit his Assembly membership if the party did not provide him a “suitable post”.

Many upset

Despite attempts by JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to douse the discontentment among disappointed legislators, senior leaders such as Basavaraj Horatti, A.H. Vishwanath and B. Satyanarayana are believed to been upset with the “treatment meted out to them”.

Mr. Satyanarayana, MLA for Sira, said, “My name was on the list till last night. It disappeared in the morning. I am very much pained”.

Mr. Vishwanath said, “I did not seek a Cabinet birth. But, I won’t accept the post of the Deputy Speaker for which my name is being discussed.”

Mr. Horatti, a seven-time MLC, too is disappointed for being denied a Cabinet berth.