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Short shrift angers coastal MLAs

BJP MLAs of the three coastal districts of Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada now feel they should have rallied behind DV Sadananda Gowda.

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BJP MLAs of the three coastal districts of Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada now feel they should have rallied behind DV Sadananda Gowda, who belongs to their region, while facing attacks from BS Yeddyurappa and his supporters.

The new ministry led by Jagadish Shettar has a poor representation of their region - only Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri of Uttara Kannada could secure a cabinet berth.

This short shrift towards MLAs from these districts evoked some angry reactions in the region. Supporters of Kundapur MLA Haladi Srinivas Shetty blocked roads in Kundapur town and other places in the assembly constituency in protest.

Shetty had been camping in Bangalore and was expecting a call to take oath as a minister on Thursday. He told DNA, “The call never came, and neither did any consolation. I am very disappointed as the party appears to have forgotten the role played by coastal MLAs in bringing the BJP to the power. In fact, the party originated in the coast.”

A total of 35 Grama Panchayat members of Beejadi, Kumbashi and Gangolli panchayats have resigned from their posts in protest denial of cabinet berth to Shetty. More resignations are on the cards on Friday.

Among those who resigned on Thursday was Karnataka State Coastal Development Authority chairman B Nagaraja Shetty.  Soon after seeing the list of the new ministers, he announced his resignation. “This was vindictive politics. They are deliberately keeping honest MLAs and party leaders out of the ministry, so that they can have their flock together. I have resigned as a stand against sectarian politics being played out,” he said.

Krishna Palemar, who was blacklisted along with Lakshman Savadi and CC Patil for watching porn in the assembly, was also expecting a berth. “I am not sure what the party wants. I have come clean out of the accusations and as far as my knowledge goes the party wanted to keep all the ministers, who got ministries in 2008. But it turned out to be a different list altogether, which has surprised me,” Palemar told said.

Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat said, “I was not a contender for the berth, but my friend Srinivas Shetty was. Senior leaders like N Yogish Bhat (Mangalore South), Krishna Palemar (Mangalore North), S Angara (Sullia) truly deserved to be in the ministry. But none of them have made it to the cabinet. I am in touch with Shetty and depending on his decision on Friday; I will announce my future course of action.”

However Yogish Bhat, had a different take. “The party decided to give preference to Shimoga and Chikmagalur (Malnad) and naturally when the chief minister is from north Karnataka region he must have the support of the MLAs from his own region. I don’t see Shettar creating any impropriety by not giving berths to coastal MLAs. But I have assurances from the party that they will take care of the region’s needs and will pump more money and developmental projects to the coast.”

Political pundits in the region were also were baffled. “It was as if Shettar wanted to keep all MLAs from the coast away from power - which was a move to break the party cadres in the region. The Yeddyurappa faction, which now has the chief minister on their side, is dismantling the BJP in the coast,” said Urimajalu Ram Bhat, a senior BJP leader.

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