Kalaburagi: Jewargi MLA Ajay Singh made it clear on Tuesday that he was not happy with the move of leaders of the coalition parties to offer rebel MLAs ministerial berths.
Speaking to reporters here, Dr Singh, who is a strong contender for a ministerial post himself, regretted that instead of rewarding staunch loyalists like him, the coalition partners were considering rewarding those who rebelled against the government. “I will meet senior leaders of the party to convey my feelings,” he added.
Dr Singh, who is a second-term MLA, said when he demanded a ministerial berth in the past he was made Special Representative of Karnataka in Delhi, on the promise that he would be considered during the next reshuffle. “Now that there are reports of the Cabinet being reshuffled, the promise should be honoured.” As Kalaburagi is a big district, which once had seven ministers, it needs another minister (besides the Cabinet berth held by Mr Priyank Kharge) to administer it properly. When a small district like Bidar can have three ministers, why does Kalaburagi have only one?," he demanded. To a query, Dr Singh revealed that he had been approached by BJP leaders who had offered to make him a minister if he joined the saffron party.
“But I have made it clear to them that as my father was a staunch Congressman till his last breath, I will not betray the party,” he added.
Baburao apologises to Lingayats
Former minister, Baburao Chinchansur on Tuesday apologised for his comment that Lingayat voters had been bought over in the recent Chincholi bypoll by Congress leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, after a video recording of it went viral, drawing huge criticism from the community.
The video showed him making the comment in a private discussion with a group of men in his home in Kalaburagi. Mr Chinchansur is seen claiming that the Lingayats, who gave a 14,000 lead to the BJP candidate in the Lok Sabha poll, did not vote for its candidate, candidate, Dr Avinash Jadhav in the Chincholi assembly bypoll as they were bought over by Mr Kharge. "Not a single Koli community voter or the Lambanis voted for the BJP candidate either," Mr Chinchansur is heard saying in the video, which was circulated widely on social media during the day.
