K’taka: Ex-BJP mins attend session, say assured of cabinet berths

The BJP leaders said they have been assured of cabinet berths by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who will be heading to Delhi on Monday to discuss the possible cabinet expansion with the party high command.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers KS Eshwarappa and Ramesh Jarkiholi on Thursday attended the ongoing winter session of Karnataka legislature in Belagavi, days after skipping the House, mounting pressure on the party leadership for their reinduction into the cabinet.

BJP Shivamogga MLA and former Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa (PTI)

The BJP leaders said they have been assured of cabinet berths by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who will be heading to Delhi on Monday to discuss the possible cabinet expansion with the party high command.

“BJP is a party that always believes in trust. With full faith in the BJP and the chief minister, Ramesh Jarkiholi and I met Bommai and spoke with him yesterday (Wednesday),” Eshwarappa told reporters outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. “He (Bommai) has assured both of us of cabinet berths and said the he will discuss the list of 3-4 other members with the high command on Monday.”

The statement comes a day after the two former ministers met Bommai at the Visveswaraya Technological University Guest House in Belagavi and held discussion about their possible return to the state cabinet.

Talking to reporters in Belagavi, Bommai confirmed his plan to visit Delhi soon to take up the matter with the high command.

“I have met Eshwarappa and Jarkiholi about the expansion and gave them detail. This expansion issue has been discussed with them and I have already conveyed the same to the high command earlier,” said Bommai. “I will visit Delhi soon.”

Former rural development and panchayati raj minister Eshwarappa had resigned in April, following allegations of his involvement in the suicide of a Belagavi-based civil contractor Santosh Patil. Patil had accused the BJP leader of demanding 40% commission in public works.

Former water resources minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who defected to the BJP from the Congress in 2018, causing the collapse of the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress government in the state, and who was later inducted into the cabinet of the BJP government that took over, resigned following his alleged involvement in a “sex for jobs” scandal in March last year.

NEEDS A GRAF ON THE STATUS OF THEIR CASES

The absence of Eshwarappa and Jarkiholi from the ongoing session had initially raised speculations about internal conflict. The two leaders contended that they were given a “clean chit” in legal cases against them and skipped the winter session as a “civilised protest”. However, Bommai on Tuesday clarified that it was not a boycott.

“Eshwarappa or Jarkiholi have not boycotted the session. They have been given a clean chit in the cases filed against them, and it is right that they feel that they should be inducted into the cabinet,” Bommai had said. “I have also discussed the matter with high command and they have responded positively.”

Eshwarappa had earlier expressed his disgruntlement with Bommai, saying the chief minister has the discretionary power in appointing the council of ministers. “I have been a member of the Assembly since 1989. I have never taken leave since then. But I have decided not to attend it because I’m unable to answer the questions of my followers. Despite getting a clean chit, why am I not in the cabinet?” he had said.

On Thursday, Eshwarappa reiterated that they skipped the session as it was a matter of “prestige” and they were unable to explain their non-induction into the cabinet to the other party leaders.

“I want to say this clearly. We boycotted the session the last few days because we have been given a clean chit. Why were we not taking into the cabinet even after getting a clean chit?” Eshwarappa said. “This is not just our concern, but of the entire state party workers, senior leaders, MLAs and MLCs. We did not have an answer to this.”

He added: “This is not the first time Ramesh Jarkiholi and I have seen ministerial posts. Even we know there is not much that can be done in 3-4 months. But this is a matter of prestige. Why is this injustice being done to us? What do we tell the party workers? This was our concern.”