Bhovis, Bunts rise up in revolt, seek Cabinet berths

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had to face the brunt on Thursday, when the Bhovi (SC) and the Bunt communities expressed ire over their leaders not being included in the Cabinet.

Scores of BJP workers picketed outside Yediyurappa’s residence, shouting slogans against him and demanding a ministerial berth for any of the four MLAs belonging to the Bhovi community - Aravind Limbavali, M Chandrappa, S Raghu or Goolihatti Shekar.

“If one of them isn’t made a minister, we’ve asked all four to resign as legislators. This has been decided in a meeting that we’ve held. We will also hold a statewide protest,” said Jayaprakash, who identified himself as a party office-bearer. The Bhovi community leaders have also demanded that two of their MLAs should be made heads of boards or corporations.

Limbavali and Shekar have served as ministers before, whereas Chandrappa and Raghu are awaiting their chance. Limbavali, especially, was in the race to replace Yediyurappa as BJP state president, a post that went to Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel. Also, Limbavali did not get a Cabinet berth, leaving him in the lurch.

The Bunt community, too, expressed anger with the BJP, accusing the Yediyurappa administration of sidelining them. The Bunts' Sangha has announced that it will stage a protest in Bengaluru.

Addressing a press conference, Bunts’ Sangha president R Upendra Shetty said though there were five Bunt MLAs in the BJP, none of them was inducted into the Cabinet. "The seniority of Haladi Srinivas Shetty, a five-time MLA, has not been considered," he said, adding that the community has traditionally backed the saffron party.

Condemning the decision of the government, the Bunts’ Sangha will stage a silent protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Friday.

These developments came as a setback to Yediyurappa, who had heaved a sigh of relief after former ministers Umesh Katti and M P Renukacharya, who had threatened to raise a banner of revolt, had been reportedly pacified.