Haladi firm, to tender resignation on Monday

Political realignment and the ensuing discontentment in the State BJP may shortly claim its first victim with Kundapur MLA Haladi Srinivasa Shetty deciding to tender his resignation to the Legislative Assembly Speaker on Monday.

With the warring factions hankering for the power spoils, Shetty’s name was removed from the shortlist of ministerial probables at the last minute on Thursday, and replaced by Kota Srinivas Poojary, an MLC.

A hurt Shetty said he had never sought a berth in the Cabinet, but decided to accept it at the behest of his colleagues. “I was invited in the wee hours of Thursday by Jagadish Shettar and Ananth Kumar to the swearing-in ceremony. But later, my name was removed from the list,” he said.

“More than the denial of ministership, it is the insult to the people of my constituency and the  humiliation I had to face after coming to Bangalore that have compelled me to resign as MLA,” Shetty said.

As Speaker K G Bopaiah was at his hometown Madikeri on Friday, Shetty submitted his resignation to Assembly secretary Omprakash.

But the officer refused to accept the letter saying he had no authority to forward the letter to the Speaker. Shetty said he would return to Bangalore on Monday and submit his resignation in person to Bopaiah.

A three-time MLA, Shetty said he suspected the role of RSS leader Prabhakar Bhat in scuttling his chances of becoming a minister. Shetty has been solidly backed by the legislators of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said he had spoken to Shetty over the phone and requested him not to resign. Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa said the party would convince Shetty and tell him what had actually happened in the last few days.

“Shetty’s name was nowhere in the probables’ list. As the party’s State president, I know this fact. None of the members in the committee, which sat for finalising Cabinet berths, promised any seat to Shetty,” he said.