Bengaluru: Miffed JD(S) MLAs too rally behind M B Patil

Bengaluru: It’s not only upset Congress legislators who are rallying around former water resources minister M.B. Patil, even JD(S) legislators who are not too happy over Vokkaliga domination in the party with as many as six of the 12 Cabinet berths going to that community, are looking to him for succour after being denied berths.

Notwithstanding Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy’s claim that he went to Congress MLA, M.B. Patil’s residence on Friday to hear his grievances on cabinet formation, the real reason behind his visit was to gauge the strength of Mr Patil who might rock the JD(S)-Congress coalition’s boat. He is also perturbed over the fact that Mr Patil has emerged as a rallying point for even JD (S) dissidents, said sources.

Sources in the JD (S) said that barring Vokkaliga legislators, MLAs of other communities in the party are upset with the Gowda family. It all started with party supremo, H.D. Deve Gowda reportedly asserting at the JD(S) legislature party that he would give all 12 ministerial berths to Vokkaligas legislators as only they had backed the party.

At this juncture, senior MLAs like A.H. Vishwanath intervened and suggested that it would send a wrong signal to the public and therefore, MLC M.B. Farooq from the minority community, who had worked hard for the party, should be inducted.

However, Mr Gowda was no mood to relent saying when Muslims did not vote for the JD (S), why should the party accommodate Mr Farooq? This led to heated argument among legislators, sources said.

Later, non-Vokkaliga legislators reportedly joined hands but did not have a strong leader to defend their case. When M.B. Patil took up the cause of deprived Congressmen after he was denied the cabinet berth, JD(S) MLC Basavaraj Horatti, a Lingayat, who had stood by Mr Patil on the Lingayat religion issue, approached him and the latter agreed to act as  a unifying factor for dissatisfied legislators from both the Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress, said sources.

On getting intelligence inputs that JD (S) legislators were rallying around Mr Patil, Mr Kumaraswmay tried to assuage Mr Patil’s feelings and visited him, sources explained.