B L Santhosh discusses Cabinet expansion with CM BSY

Hectic political activity was observed among the BJP ranks on Monday, owing to the meeting of BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh called on Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

Santhosh also spoke to Health Minister B Sriramulu over his demand for the DyCM berth even as his supporters upped the ante over the issue.

Disqualified Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Muniratna - who was among the legislators who defected to the BJP - is also said to have consulted Santhosh regarding the case file against him by BJP’s Muniraju Gowda.

Santhosh met Yediyurappa at the latter’s residence for the first time since the bypolls. The two held discussions for around 15-20 minutes and reportedly discussed the Cabinet expansion. Yediyurappa is expected to travel to Delhi after December 20, during which he will finalise cabinet berths for the newly-elected BJP MLAs.

Even as the BJP discussed whether to add new DyCM posts or to get rid of all three such berths to curb dissent within party ranks, supporters of Sriramulu reiterated their demand to appoint the leader from Valmiki community as another DyCM.

Ballari MLA Somashekar Reddy, who batted in support of Sriramulu, said that he would have been appointed to the post, if mining baron Janardhan Reddy was still active in politics.
Sriramulu met Santhosh at the state BJP office. It is learnt that Sriramulu was keen on the berth as he feared that appointing the newly elected legislator Ramesh Jarkiholi as DyCM would affect his image as leader of ST community, carefully cultivated ahead of Assembly elections last year.

Muniratna discussed with Santosh regarding the ongoing case of alleged electoral irregularities against him, which was filed by Muniraju Gowda, BJP candidate who lost the elections from Rajarajeshwari Nagar in 2018.

While BJP candidate from Maski, Basanagouda Turvihal, had withdrawn a case he had filed against former Congress legislator who defected to BJP, Pratapgouda Patil, Muniraju refused to do so, despite assurances of appointing him as MLC or a board chairman. Muniratna is learnt to have requested Santhosh to direct Muniraju - identified in BJP’s Santhosh camp - to withdraw the case.