A last-minute alteration in the list of legislators chosen to join the cabinet of Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar triggered protests and commotion at Raj Bhavan and the Legislators’ Home (LH) on Thursday.
At the 11th hour, senior leaders replaced Kundapura legislator Haladi Srinivas Shetty with Kota Srinivasa Poojari, MLC, prompting a couple of legislators from Udupi to threaten en masse resignations. Their supporters shouted slogans and mobbed former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his son B .Y.Raghavendra who came to the Legislators’ Home (LH) to pacify them. Mr. Shetty alleged that Dakshina Kannada RSS pramuk Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat was behind the last minute change in the list ahead of the oath-taking ceremony.
“I know that Mr. Bhat has hatched a conspiracy against me. I will take an appropriate decision within a day or two after consulting my supporters”, Mr. Shetty told media persons. Mr. Shetty rushed to Bengaluru on being told by former chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda that he would be inducted on Thursday. He, however, waited in vain for a word from the Chief Secretary’s office and subsequently learnt that he was dropped from the list.
Interestingly Mr. Poojari who was with Mr Shetty since this morning, did not give a clue about his induction into the Cabinet. “Mr. Poojari was with me since morning, and had breakfast in my room. But he was tense and anxiously awaiting a call from Rajbhavan. After 11.30 AM, he told me about his inclusion in the cabinet. It was hurts me most. Our party leaders and a RSS leader from Dakshina Kannada district has stabbed me in the back”, said an emotional Mr. Shetty. Meanwhile, Mr Kota Sreenivasa Poojari who rushed to Raj Bhavan for the oath-taking ceremony, was stopped at the gate as he did not carry his entry pass.