Saffron camp in Udupi sees red at non-inclusion of Karkala MLA in BSY cabinet

UDUPI: A sense of reticence emanated from the BJP camp in its perceived stronghold within hours of chief minister BS Yediyurappa making official the list of those who would be sworn in as ministers on Wednesday. If officially the office bearers of the district unit welcomed the expansion of the BSY cabinet, they were also not shy from hiding their disappointment at the non-inclusion of the three-time Karkala MLA V Sunil Kumar into the ministry.
Incidentally, Sunil Kumar’s name was actively doing the rounds and he was placed in the list of probable. With the list becoming official, and his name not in it, Sunil took to twitter and tried his best not to hide his disappointment. “Loyalty to the party, development of the constituency and Hindutva is my agenda. I don’t know any other path. I don’t understand glorifying caste politics nor have I blackmailed for any post, nor will I do so in future,” he tweeted.

Backing Sunil’s feelings, a senior district party functionary, not willing to cross the party’s ‘Laxman Rekha’ by airing the disappointment publically, told TOI, “Sunil Kumar deserved a chance. His induction would have given a major boost to the rank and file of the party,” the office bearer said, adding he could have done much more for the development of the district than home minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is presently the district minister.
The district leadership has openly and ‘in-house’ asked the state leaders to make the offices of the district minister and Member of Parliament be a nervecentre of political activity, the functionary said. With Bommai saddled with responsibilities of the crucial home department and not able to devote hands-on time for Udupi over Haveri, his home district and MP Shobha Karandlaje staying aloof, Sunil’s induction would have galvanised the party unit.
Sunil told TOI that what has happened (with him failing to make the cut) is past. Asked if he foresaw the possibilities of an elected representative from Udupi getting the mantle of district minister’s post the reshuffle, Sunil said, it is left to the CM to decide. “Kota Shrinivas Poojari is from Udupi,” Sunil said. Both Kuilady Suresh Nayak, president of the district unit of BJP and Shobha Karandlaje offered no comments to the expansion exercise.