JOIN USM B Patil fails to get assurance from Rahul Gandhi
Disgruntled former Karnataka minister M B Patil on Saturday failed to get any assurance from Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
Patil, who met Rahul in New Delhi, did not get assurance from the Congress president over his demand to be made the deputy chief minister or a minister with a plum portfolio in Karnataka, sources in the Congress told DH.
Patil, who was closeted with Rahul for more than 45 minutes, is learnt to have explained the current political situation in Karnataka.
The former minister, who reached the national capital on Friday night, first met Congress general secretary Ahmed Patel on Saturday morning.
Later, Patil and Patel met Rahul at his residence. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and Parliamentary Affairs and Rural Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda also joined the meeting.
Emerging out of the meeting, Patil told reporters: “I have explained everything to Rahul Gandhi. He gave a patient hearing. I gave a clear picture to him about the entire political situation in the state. He also collected the opinion from others.”
To a question on whether he got any assurance from Rahul, Patil said, “I have not placed any demand before the party high command. I am not an aspirant for the deputy chief minister or ministership or KPCC president's post. I have not discussed these issues with him.”
“I am not alone. I have many friends in the party, including Satish Jarkiholi. I will discuss with them about the meeting. There are no seniors or juniors among us. I will decide the future course of action after meeting with my friends,” he said.
Patil also dismissed news reports that senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge was responsible for his present situation. “Kharge is a senior leader and I have respect for him. Don't blame him,” he said.
Patil also denied rumours that the party denied him the ministership because he was leading the demand for a separate religion tag for Lingayats.
However, both Rao and Gowda refused to speak to the media. “Whatever we discussed with Rahul is an internal matter of the party. We don't want to discuss these issues before the media,” they said.
Patil is one among the many MLAs in the Congress who are upset over being denied a ministerial berth in the coalition government.
After the state leaders failed to placate Patil, Rahul asked him to come to the national capital for talks.