‘BJP neglecting loyal, honest party workers in Karnataka’

BANGALORE - The reshuffle of the Karnataka ministry Tuesday continues to rankle ruling Bharatiya Janata Party legislators denied a berth in the party’s first ministry in the state.

“I have realized that only defectors and non-party people get preference in my party for which I have worked sincerely all these years,” C.T. Ravi, a legislator and aspirant for cabinet berth told reporters in hometown Chikmagalur Friday.

Ravi, who had threatened to quit the assembly if not made a minister, said he has submitted his resignation from the house to the state party president K.S. Eshwarappa.

“It is for him to decide. I will abide by it,” he said.

“Chikmagalur was a stronghold of Congress but we have smashed the fortress in the last ten years and all the five assembly constituencies from the district are now with the BJP. Taking this into account, the district should have been represented in the cabinet,” Ravi said.

Without mentioning any names he alleged that “some senior party leaders have worked to divide the party in the district”. “I have now seen conspiracy in power politics,” Ravi said.

Six legislators, one of whom had defected last year to BJP from Congress, were sworn in on Tuesday after Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa dropped three ministers. There were three vacancies caused by resignation of ministers earlier over various scandals.

The reshuffle, the first major one in the 28-month-old ministry, was preceded by high drama of a suicide threat by Sports and Youth Affairs minister Goolihatti Shekar and mass resignation by BJP legislators.

The threats did not work. Shekar was dropped along with two others.

While Ravi did not use harsh words to attack his party, H.S. Shankaralinge Gowda, a four time legislator from Mysore and a strong aspirant for minister’s post, had said Tuesday that “only ‘lafangeys (loafers), thieves, liars and land grabbers get preference in BJP.”