Ministerial berth for Ranjan urged

Caste based cabinet expansion going on

Zilla Panchayat Standing Committee for Social Justice Chairman D B Dharmappa has said that if the CM fails to give a post to Ranjan in the cabinet then they will decide their next course of action.

“Ranjan was elected as the MLA thrice and he had worked sincerely for the growth of the party in the region,” said Dharmappa explaining the reason why Ranjan should be given ministerial berth.

Addressing a news conference on Sunday, he said that when former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa had come to Madikeri to campaign for Ranjan, he had promised that Ranjan would be given ministerial berth if people of Kodagu made him victorious in the election.

Unfortunately, BSY did not stand by his words during two cabinet expansions in the past.
“Ranjan was denied post at the last minute,” he said adding that caste plays a major role in politics and it plays a role even during cabinet expansion.

“We Kodavas have contributed a lot to the development of BJP. The parties in the past have given representation to Kodagu by giving cabinet berth to Kodava leaders. Then, we even had Kodavas as District in-charge Ministers. But after BJP came to power we have been having outsiders as District in-charge Ministers,” he said adding some of these outsiders have never set their foot to the district.

Dharmappa said that he had met the CM and the party president and demanded cabinet berth for Ranjan.

“They have responded positively,” he said.

Presidents and members of various Taluk Panchayats, Gram Panchayats  were present.