Bagalkote (Karnataka): Senior BJP legislator K S Eshwarappa on Monday said he would not attend the Assembly session until he is made a Minister.
The Shivamogga MLA had resigned as the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister earlier this year after a Belagavi-based contractor Santosh Patil died by suicide in a Udupi hotel accusing the Minister of demanding 40 per cent commission.
Eshwarappa told reporters that he is being denied a ministerial position despite the probe agency giving him a clean chit in the contractor suicide case.
The senior legislator said he would, however, go to Belagavi where the legislature session is on, but he would not attend it. "The purpose of going to Belagavi is to submit a letter to the Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri seeking his permission not to attend the entire session," said a visibly upset Eshwarappa. The senior BJP MLA said that those who are absolved of crime should not be punished.
"But, in my case, the verdict has come and clean chit has been given, but Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai regarding giving me a ministerial berth has been telling me either today or tomorrow' (I will be made minister). The CM says he will make me a Minister and insists that people like me should be in the Cabinet but I don't know why he is not including me in the Cabinet", Eshwarappa said.
He also claimed that he has been receiving calls from his sympathisers from across the State. People, workers, and pontiffs of various ashrams from across the State have been asking me why I have not been made a minister yet. Even I feel hurt and humiliated when they sympathetically enquire with me, Eshwarappa said.
I have started this humble protest of not attending session with the sole objective of making them (BJP leadership) understand, he added. Karnataka, which has 34 sanctioned ministerial posts, currently has only 28 Ministers. While the general Assembly elections are about four months away, there are many in the ruling BJP, including Eshwarappa, aspiring to become Ministers.
