Siddaramaiah not keen on going to Delhi or Bengaluru to talk to rebel MLAs

Hubballi: Despite the growing dissidence among Congress MLAs deprived of Cabinet berths, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has preferred not to get involved and is keeping a low profile while continuing to tour Badami constituency to thank its people for electing him to the Legislative Assembly.

But the disgruntled MLAs and their supporters continue to approach him for help. While Congress leaders from adjacent Vijayapura are making a beeline to meet him and demand a ministerial berth for Mr M B Patil, other ministerial aspirants and their supporters from Bengaluru and other parts of the state are finding it hard to contact him over the phone . Kuruba leaders from the region have, however, met him to vent their frustration at the community being sidelined in the Cabinet expansion.

Despite the clamour for his attention, Mr Siddaramaiah doesn’t seem keen on getting involved. “I will not go to Delhi or Bengaluru to speak to the disgruntled Congress ministerial aspirants. I have already convinced many of them. M B Patil has also met me few days ago and no one will desert the party. I will stay in Badami constituency for two more days”, was all he said.

Mr Siddaramaiah has also tried to avoid the media glare while on his five-day tour of Badami in an attempt to avoid questions over the dissidence in the party. He has promised to rent a house in Badami and visit the people of the constituency at least twice a month to supervise the development work and address their problems.

Accompanying him are Mr S R Patil, who recently resigned as KPCC working president and former ministers, Umashree and H Y Meti , who were defeated in the recent assembly poll from Bagalkot district.