A dream come true for Varthur, finally

After a three-year wait, the legislator becomes minister in the BJP government

Having stood by the BJP-led State Government at decisive moments, he was hoping to get a place in the Cabinet sooner or later. Now, after repeated attempts, he has finally been granted ministership.

Long hopes

Whenever the Cabinet under former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa was expanded, Varthur Prakash and his supporters kept their fingers crossed. Their dreams and prayers have seen fulfillment now, under the leadership of the new Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.

Although initially quite expressive about his disappointment on not being given a minister’s post, Varthur preferred to speak just a few words on the issue in the recent days.

A politician who drew attention for having changed his sides pretty often in order to become a minister in the State Government, he expressed support to the BJP, which had been hoping to gain majority when the results to the Assembly poll in 2008 were announced. The then list of ministers, however, did not include Varthur’s name.

Instead, a few months later, he was made chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

Anti-government

The new post too was not long-standing, as Varthur did not fail to criticise the State Government and Yeddyurappa. His ‘obedience’ to Siddaramaiah, considered his political guru, too was said to be a reason for his stand. Later, however, Varthur criticised Siddaramaiah too, much to the surprise of all.

Although everyone expected Varthur to join the JD(S), his presence with party chief H D Devegowda at a press-conference at Kadur in Chikmagalur on October 8, 2010, raised several eye-brows. Barely five days after, however, the legislator appeared in public along with minister Janardhan Reddy and expressed support to the ruling government.

The fickle nature of the legislator surprised and baffled even his supporters, but all they could do was tag along mutely.

Pro-BJP

Varthur supported the ruling BJP-led government even when Yeddyurappa had to prove majority the third time. Some time before too, he worked in favour of the party to ensure a BJP victory in the Kolar Zilla Panchayat and later in the Bangarpet by-poll.

The legislator is said to have been promised a post in the State Cabinet ‘if the party won in Bangarpet’. Eeshwarappa had announced that Varthur being given a minister’s post ‘was 100 per cent certain’. On neither occasion was the word kept.

Recently, the BJP saw factionalism when the new chief minister was being selected and Varthur supported Jagadish Shettar, much to the chagrin of Yeddyurappa. This was also cited to be a reason for Varthur being denied ministership for long.

In the backdrop of such wait and such developments, the legislator visited the BJP leaders in New Delhi and urged for the post of a minister.

His hold over the Kolar City Municipal Council had loosened considerably in August 2010, thanks to the efforts of his rivals K H Muniyappa of the Congress and K Srinivasa Gowda
of the JD(S).

Varthur, however, has risen again and thereby has had the last laugh.