Chikkamagaluru: Sringeri Congress MLA T.D. Rajegowda, who is hoping for a cabinet berth in the JD(S)-led coalition government, is reportedly depending on Avadoota Vinay Guruji, a spiritual leader, to put in a word for him.
The MLA is reportedly close to Vinay Gurji, who had predicted that state JD(S) president, H D Kumaraswamy would become Chief Minister this time and has even built a road from his own pocket for an ashrama run by the holy man in Koppa taluk.
While Mr Rajegowda defeated his nearest rival, D.N. Jeevaraj of the BJP, in a close fight, his win was the only one for the Congress in the district where it lost four seats to the BJP. Dr Vijaykumar, president of DCC, is all for the MLA becoming Minister considering that the Congress has lost in nine of the 10 assembly seats in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru parliamentary constituency and believes it will be of immense help to the party in fighting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Chikkamagaluru. But sources say that chances of Mr Rajegowda, a Vokkaliga, making it into the Kumaraswamy cabinet are bleak as JD(S) is also said to be giving more berths to Vokkaligas.
In the previous assembly poll, the Congress won from Tarikere, but its MLA, GH Srinivas was denied a ministerial berth. It appointed three district in -charge ministers for Chikkamagaluru at intervals , former Minister for Fisheries, Abhaychandra Jain, former Home Minister, Dr G Parameshwar and former Urban Development Minister Roshan Baig.
