BJP leaders feel discontent over exclusion from Karnataka cabinet

Several ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers expressed displeasure over their exclusion from Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s cabinet after its expansion with the induction of 17 ministers into it on Tuesday.

Thippa Reddy, a four-time lawmaker from Chitradurga, said he was surprised and pained over his exclusion. “It is not just me, many MLAs [members of legislative assembly] have expressed their pain and we have spoken over the phone. We have even decided to meet in a few days and discuss this,” he said.

In Chitradurga, Reddy’s supporters shouted slogans demanding “justice” and disrupted traffic partially at the city’s Gandhi Circle by burning tyres.

S Angara, a six-term BJP lawmaker, said the people in his constituency were unhappy that he was denied the chance of becoming a minister. “I have practised ethics and values in public life. It is unfortunate that those values are being ignored,” he said.

Umesh Katti, a seven-time legislator, said his name was on the list of lawmakers that were slated to be inducted into the cabinet until 6 am on Tuesday. He added his name was removed later. “I have been a minister twice and will continue to work for the party. Let us see when the next [cabinet] expansion happens.”

Umesh Katti and other senior BJP leaders like Murugesh Nirani, Balachandra Jharkiholi, Renukacharya, and Basavaraj Patil Yatnal did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the ministers. Yatnal and Katti belong to the dominant Lingayat caste.

Jarkiholi said he was confident that someone from his family would be inducted into the cabinet. His brother, Ramesh Jarkiholi, was one of the rebels, who brought down the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government in the state last month.

The BJP has left 16 ministerial berths vacant. Many BJP lawmakers fear that a majority of these would be used to accommodate the 17 Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) rebels.

A leader said that the BJP was likely to keep two cabinet berths vacant even after another cabinet expansion. “First, we will have to see what the Supreme Court decides about the disqualified former MLAs. If they are elected back, we will have to include a minimum of 10 of the 17 rebels,” he said on condition of anonymity. He added it would leave the party with just four more berths to fill.

The BJP named Nalin Kumar Kateel as its new Karnataka chief. He will take over the post Yediyurappa vacated after becoming the CM.

Kateel, a three-time MP from Dakshina Kannada, is known as a firebrand Hindutva leader. At 53, Kateel is part of the second rung leadership the party is trying to build as Yediyurappa ages.

Political analyst Narendar Pani said the move signalled the BJP is trying to make the party completely ideological. “Kateel is in the same mould as Ananth Kumar Hegde and both are very committed to Hindutva,” he said