My claim for minister's post natural: Congress MLA Anand

Ballari: Hosapete Congress MLA B.S. Anand Singh believes he stands a good chance of  getting a ministerial berth from the ore-rich district of Ballari in the JD(S)-Congress coalition government as he is a third-time MLA and has served as minister earlier.

Having joined the Congress after quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the state assembly elections in mid-February, he says he has fulfilled his promise to party president  Rahul Gandhi that he would do his best to get  Congress legislators elected from the district as the party won six of the nine seats from Ballari. Considering this, Mr Singh says his claim for a minister’s post is but ‘natural’.

While it is claimed that he had joined the Congress only on the assurance that he would be made minister,  Mr Singh said that he was a loyal Congress man and would abide by the high command’s decision on cabinet berths. 

Going by sources, Congress legislators, Bheema Naik, J.N. Ganesh and B. Nagendra are backing him for a ministerial post along with former minister  Santosh Lad.

In the suspense filled days after the elections,  Mr Singh had left Congress leaders on tenterhooks ahead of the floor test that BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa never held to prove his majority, by remaining incommunicado till the last minute, before finally emerging from a private hotel to back his party.  

One of the richest politicians in Karnataka, the MLA has business interests spanning mining, trade and hospitality.