CM’s announcement about ministership for CP Yogeshwar not taken well by some MLAs

Bengaluru: Resentment seems to be brewing in the ruling BJP in Karnataka against Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s assertion that MLC C P Yogeshwar will be inducted into the cabinet,as MLA M P Renukacharya on Wednesday met the party state unit president and expressed deep hurt.

Renukacharya and several like minded legislators are likely to meet ahead of the winter session from December 7 before meeting the CM and leadership in this regard. Party sources said many of the their old guard are reportedly unhappy with the CM”s open announcement that “Yogeshwar will be made a minister cent percent”.

MLAs have cited Yogeshwar being not directly elected and his induction scuttling chances of many of them as the reason for their opposition,pointing out that MLCs like Laxman Savadi (Deputy CM) and Kota Srinivas Poojary are already in the cabinet, they said.

Renukacharya, who is also the CM’s political secretary and one among the MLAs who are opposing Yogeshwar’s possible induction, met state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel and held discussions. He is said to have informed Kateel about resentment among a section of MLAs following this decision, sources said.

“I’m deeply hurt by the Chief Minister’s statement. I won”t say things in front of the media.I have put forward what I had to say before the state president,” Renukacharya said.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Kateel, he said these MLAs are now busy with party organisation work in their constituencies in view of the coming gram panchayat polls and he too would be going to his constituency to do the same. “….once all our legislators come back, we will meet the Chief Minister and discuss. Before the session starts we will once again meet him and the party state president and also raise matters that we have to at the legislature party meeting and in other party fora,” he added.

Even as he waits the high command’s approval for the much awaited expansion or reshuffle of his cabinet,Yediyurappa on Tuesday said Yogeshwar will be ”100 per cent made Minister.”

Yogeshwar had lost the 2018 assembly polls from Channapatna against former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S). He is said to have played a key role by managing Congress-JD(S) rebel MLAs during their stay in Mumbai, which gave rise to political turmoil in the state, eventually led to the collapse of the coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy last year, and paved the way for the BJP to come to power.

It is said that in recognition of his contribution for BJP coming to power, Yogeshar was rewarded with an MLC nomination in July. Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi had been lobbying for Yogeshwar’s induction and the duo had met Yediyurappa, also BJP National President J P Nadda and General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh in this regard.

Several BJP MLAs, including Renukacharya, had met Jarkiholi in the past and requested him not to lobby for Yogeshwar. When reporters mentioned Yogeshwar’s name while asking what transpired at the meeting, Renukacharya said, “I have not heard that name… Is he Narendra Modi or Amit Shah or Nadda or Santosh or Yediyurappa or Kateel? Instead of asking about big people, you are asking about someone whom I don’t know. Why do you ask me about him repeatedly?.”

A Vokkaliga leader from Ramanagara district, Yogeshwar had served as Minister in the previous BJP government. He also had a stint in Congress. Meanwhile, BJP MLA and government chief whip in the legislative assembly V Sunil Kumar’s letter to Kateel to convene a meeting of legislators to discuss recent developments, including cabinet expansion and appointments to boards and corporations, is seen as a sign of growing resentment within the party, sources said.