Arvind Bellad misses ministerial berth following Shettar's opposition

Prominent Lingayat leader Arvind Bellad, who was in the race for the Chief Minister's post, missed the ministerial berth as he faced strong opposition from former chief minister Jagadish Shettar.

Bellad, a two-term MLA from Hubballi-Dharwad (West), was among the three probables for the top executive post in the state along with Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai when the BJP had decided to make a Lingayat leader the next Chief Minister.

The party ruled out 65-year-old Shettar's candidature as he already served as the CM once and the party lost when he was the helm of affairs in the 2013 assembly elections. Following this, the BJP high command narrowed down on Bommai and Bellad.

There were apprehensions in a section of the BJP that Bellad as chief minister could face trouble from Yediyurappa, which tipped the scales in Bommai's favour.

Bellad had openly demanded the removal of Yediyurappa as the chief minister.

After losing the race for the top post, Bellad, considered close to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, had pinned hopes on becoming the Deputy Chief Minister or a cabinet minister in the Bommai-led government.

Also read: Protests, heartburn follow new Cabinet of Basavaraj Bommai

The BJP top brass had considered Bellad for a cabinet berth, but was forced to drop after strong opposition from Shettar. The former chief minister ensured the inclusion of his protégé Shankar B Patil Munenakoppa, the MLA from Navalagund, in the council of ministers.

Shettar is grooming his younger son Sankalp as his successor, and views Bellad as a political threat, BJP sources said.

Shettar suggested Munenakoppa, who, like Bellad, belongs to the Panchamsali Lingayat community. Since the party wanted to give representation to the community in the cabinet, Shettar quietly pushed Munenakoppa's name, sources said.

Shashikala Jolle, who had been camping in Delhi for the past two weeks, could ensure inclusion of her name at the last minute with blessings from BJP General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh.

Jolle, MLA from Nippani, and her husband Annasaheb Jolle, BJP Lok Sabha member from Chikkodi-Sadalaga, had been knocking the doors of the saffron party top leaders.

Bommai was strongly opposed to Jolle's inclusion citing the row over a sting operation and bribery allegations against her. However, Santhosh convinced him to induct Jolle considering her loyalty to the organisation. Bommai was in favour of inducting Hiriyur MLA K Poornia in the council of ministers.