Hubballi: In an attempt to woo the Kurubas in Ranebennur Assembly constituency, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday gave an assurance that four members of the community will get ministerial berths after the by-election results.
Addressing a public campaign meeting in favour of BJP candidate Arun Kumar Pujar in Medleri village on Friday, Mr Yediyurappa claimed that he had become a minister due to the sacrifice made by disqualified legislator R Shankar who also belongs to the Kuruba community. He also assured overall development of pilgrimage centres like Devaragudda and Mailara temple coming under the constituency as most of the devotees are Kurubas. The community has a large chunk of votes in the constituency and R Shankar had managed to win the previous election with their support.
Yediyurappa said that farmers and weavers are like his two eyes. Assuring that his government will contemplate waiver of weavers' loans taken from nationalised banks, he said that he will make Karnataka a model state in the next three-and-a-half years. Asserting that there is no dearth of funds to build house for the poor, he promised that he will work to provide scientific prices for farmers' produce.
Rural development and panchayat raj minister and Kuruba leader K.S. Eshwarappa, who accompanied the Chief Minister, targeted Opposition leader Siddaramaiah throughout his speech. Terming the Congress leader as arrogant, he alleged that Siddaramaiah is making all efforts to defeat the Kuruba community's leaders MTB Nagaraj and Byrathi Basavaraj despite both of them spending a lot of money to make him Chief Minister. He said that he will step down as minister if the BJP fails to win more than eight seats. He also challenged Siddaramaiah to resign as Opposition leader if the ruling party wins more than eight seats.
