JOIN USShettar in a quandary
Shettar on Thursday got an offer to be the Deputy Chief Minister from the Yeddyurappa camp. Besides, he was offered to pick any portfolio he wanted. BJP State President D V Sadananda Gowda, who was the CM’s emissary, met Shettar and informed him about the CM offer at his official residence Cauvery.
This offer was to spike Reddys’ move to unseat him from the CM’s post. Reddys, who are demanding the leadership change, want Shettar to be their leader. However, Shettar learnt to have flatly rejected the offer. “You (the CM camp) denied me the ministerial post when I asked. Now you are offering it to keep your position intact...I will better continue as the Speaker,” sources quoted Shettar as having told Gowda.
Sources said by rejecting the offer, Shettar has been playing safe. Had he accepted it, he would not only be branded as an opportunist, but would have earned the ire of several party MLAs, including Reddys, who are against Yeddyurappa.
Meanwhile, RSS leaders are said to have told Shettar that he would have no support from the organisation if he takes up the CM’s post. “Your days will come, but not when the organisation is backing Yeddyurappa”, the leaders are said to have told Shettar.
However, the organisation has no problems if he decides to take a ministerial berth or even Deputy Chief Minister. Shettar only needed to name the ministry. Some political observers wondered at the practicality of having the CM and DCM post occupied by persons from the same community. Both Yeddyurappa and Shettar are Lingayats.
RSS is said to have conveyed to Karunakara Reddy its stand when he met them at Keshava Shilpa later in the evening. The Sangh’s stand is said to have dampened Shettar’s ambition of becoming CM. At the same time, he is in a dilemma on accepting the ministerial position of DCM at a time when the BJP was reeling under a crisis.
Several MLAs also called on Shettar including Kalakappa Bandi, Abay Kumar Patil, Seema Masuthi, Chikkanagowda, Chandrashekar Patil, M K Pattanashetti, Veeranna Charanthimath, S Raghu, Appuchuranjan and A Ramdas. Besides, the pontiff of Siddaganga Mutt (Shivanahalli branch) met the Speaker.