Several Congress legislators in Karnataka held meetings on Thursday in the state capital Bengaluru a day after they were denied Cabinet berths, reported PTI. The HD Kumaraswamy government inducted 25 ministers in the Cabinet on Wednesday.
A meeting at former Water Resources Minister MB Patil’s home in Bengaluru was attended by MLAs such as MTB Nagaraj, Satish Jharkiholi, and Roshan Baig. A similar meeting was organised by former minister HK Patil, reported PTI. HK Patil demanded that the party high command take appropriate steps to address the grievances of the legislators, but added that he will not quit the party.
Following the meeting in Bengaluru, Satish Jarkiholi, an All India Congress Committee Secretary, said the legislators were unhappy on being denied ministerial berths. “We have discussed how to set it right by bringing it to the notice of state and Delhi party leadership about capable and efficient aspirants,” PTI quoted him as saying. Jarkiholi told The New Indian Express he would meet senior Congress leaders on Friday.
MB Patil said he had decided not to accept any ministerial berths in order to concentrate on developing his constituency. “...I am not a second class citizen,” Patil told PTI, when asked why he had not sought a ministerial position. “I do not have any further aspirations.”
Meanwhile, the supporters of several Congress leaders, including Roshan Baig and former minister Ramalinga Reddy, protested in Bengaluru outside the Governor’s residence and across the state demanding ministerial berths for them, reported Deccan Herald. Protests were also held in Belagavi, Haveri and Chellakere districts by supporters of Jharkiholi, BC Patil and T Raghumurthy.
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