I am upset over denial of Council chief's post: SR Patil

Hubballi: Expressing his displeasure over not considering him for a ministerial berth, Congress leader S.R. Patil claimed that it is a loss to the people of the region, party and the state government. 

Sating that he never hankered after any position even after working as a loyal worker of the party for more than four decades, he said he will find out who was responsible for his missing the Legislative Council chairman’s post despite assurances from the head of the coordination committee, Mr Siddaramaiah. Upset over the decision to sideline him, he said that power is not always with one person in politics and expressed the hope that a good opportunity will come to him in the future. 

Maintaining that more ministerial berths to North Karnataka will help resolve injustice done to the region, he said such efforts will become fruitful only if important portfolios are allotted to these ministers. He opined that the representation in the cabinet should be qualitative, instead of quantitative, to redress the regional imbalance. Expressing satisfaction over giving representation to Bagalkote district by inducting MLC R.B. Timmapur into the cabinet, Mr Patil said that the government has taken the right decision by giving ministerial berth to the ‘Left’ community of Scheduled Caste. 

“I never approached any leader seeking a ministerial berth. But I am upset because I am sidelined for the post of Legislative Council chairman even after party leaders on their own assured me that I would get the post. But I am satisfied that the government has given priority to North Karnataka during Cabinet reshuffle. But prominent portfolios should be assigned to the ministers to ensure comprehensive growth of this backward region. I welcome that majority of the legislators inducted into the cabinet hail from AHINDA communities,” he told Deccan Chronicle. 

Claiming that denial of a proper position for him has caused resentment among his loyalists, he said that he is not aware that his loyalty to Mr Siddaramaiah and differences among top leaders cost him dearly. “Politics is always uncertain and it is like a wheel which keeps rotating. Therefore, power will not rest only in one person for a long time,” he said.