My relations with Siddaramaiah have not soured: Revanna

Former minister and Congress MLC, H.M. Revanna, the Man Friday of Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah is in the reckoning for a cabinet berth after fellow Kuruba, H.Y. Meti stepped down. 

Mr Revanna is cautious about his prospects and says he would remain a loyal party soldier whether he is inducted or not. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, he also spoke about  the contentious caste census results. Here are  excerpts.

First the Tanveer Sait sleaze episode, then  the H.Y. Meti sex CD. Now, another MLA J.T. Patil has obtained an injunction on the media airing any news on an alleged video. Till date, you (Congress) had a moral edge over BJP on this issue. Now you seem to have lost it.
Very sorry. I do not want to talk on or off-the-record on this issue. If you ask me about development related issues, I will speak.

After Mr Meti resigned from the cabinet, speculation was rife in political circles that you would join the cabinet.
This was discussed when the cabinet was formed and it was felt that an aspirant from north Karnataka would have to be accommodated. I am an aspirant now, I will discuss it with the CM.

But the CM said he would not reshuffle the cabinet and the present set up would continue till polls.
I have no differences with him. I have a chance now (to become minister). I always worked for the party. Wherever there is a party programme, the party and the CM send me to take care of the arrangements. I am in constant touch with people. That’s my strength. I will not put pressure. I will not embarrass the CM. Let him decide and I will abide. But I would like to pose the question: I was never a minister for a full term whenever Congress ruled the state. Mr Veerappa Moily had inducted me into the cabinet but I quit later after I was accused of instigating a fight between workers of two political parties. Later when I was cleared of charges, I was reinducted. During S.M. Krishna’s time, I was not made minister because I was facing charges in the JMM case. Later when I was discharged, Mr Krishna called me and said I should work in a by-election in Bidar and if the Congress  candidate wins, I would be inducted. I and A. Krishnappa had worked then. Our candidate won so I got into the cabinet.
 People may say my relations with Mr Siddaramaiah have turned sour. But it is not the case. I always respected him.

Since you are nice and dignified, has the CM taken you for granted and is not you giving the post you deserve?
No, not really. The situation is different now. Many of my community (Kurubas) leaders keep  telling me about how many Vokkaligas were there in Kumaraswamy’s cabinet or in Yeddyurappa’s ministry. Their argument is: I should be in the cabinet. Now, we have a ceiling and we cannot go beyond 34. So, the CM has constraints. But I am happy the CM is running the government without any scam, and giving  pro-people governance. Whether, I am in the cabinet or not is immaterial, the leader I like is CM.

You claim all-round development is happening  and no scam has happened. But, senior leaders including H. Vishwanath, Janardhan Poojary and Dharam Singh have expressed displeasure over the style of functioning of the CM.
I have not read what Mr Singh said. Both Mr Vishwanath and Mr Poojary are seniors. Instead of others reminding them of what they should do, they must realise what they are talking on their own. I appeal to them to talk inside the party forum and not outside.

You speak about development. In the Belagavi session, the chief minister had promised to increase the reservation limit to 70 per cent. Then he speaks of internal reservation. This clearly shows, your development agenda has flopped. Now you want to make public the caste census report, play the caste card, divide society and come back to power. Isn’t this a conspiracy?
 There is no contradiction. The programmes speak for themselves. There are 101 scheduled castes and among them many untouchable castes did not have a voice till now. Reservation corresponding to the proportion of population is guaranteed in  the Constitution. We are only implementing it. By implementing the census report, the CM would like to give them justice.