DK Shivakumar is my pal, will grant medical college for Kanakapura: BS Yediyurappa

Bengaluru: Reaching out to embattled former minister and Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said on Friday that he and Shivakumar are very good friends and promised to discuss with him a suitable location to establish a medical college in his constituency, Kanakapura.

Referring to the allegation made by Bengaluru Rural MP D.K. Suresh that the medical college which was sanctioned by the previous government had been shifted to Chikballapura, the Chief Minister said though Shivakumar belonged to a different political party, they are good friends.

The question of snatching the medical college from Kanakapura does not arise.

This would be discussed with Mr Shivakumar to identify a suitable location for setting up the medical college, he said.

Mr Yediyurappa was at Veerapura village in Magadi taluk of Ramanagara district to lay the foundation stone for a 111 foot high statue of Dr Shivakumara Swamiji, late seer of the Siddaganga Matha in Tumakuru, at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore.

The late seer was born in Veerapura village.

It may be mentioned here that the establishment of a medical college had become a bone of contention between Shivakumar and Yediyurappa as the latter shifted the college to Chikballapura after he became Chief Minister.

The previous government had announced the setting up of a medical college in Kanakapura and had started the tender process too.

Shivakumar had made this a prestige issue and had said that he would not rest till the medical college comes to his Kanakapura constituency.