A day after the expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet with the induction of 17 Ministers, discontent among those who failed to secure Ministerial berths refused to die down on Wednesday, even as Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa made attempts to douse the embers.
As the expansion brought an end to the nearly month long wait for the Cabinet to take shape, it led to some heartburn in a section of the party as several MLAs continued to make no secret of their displeasure after missing the bus.
Yediyurappa has sought to reach out to the sulking MLAs, specifically eight-time Hukkeri MLA Umesh Katti, whom several legislators who could not make it to the Ministry reportedly met. “For one hour yesterday I have spoken to him (Katti) in the presence of Basavaraj Bommai (Minister). Naturally he is pained at not getting an opportunity. I will try to find a remedy,” Yediyurappa told reporters in Tumakuru.
On discontent expressed by Honnali MLA MP Renukacharya about a former legislator Laxman Savadi, who is neither a member of the Assembly nor the Council, being made the Minister, sidelining several sitting MLAs, he said “I will call Renukacharya and friends and talk to them.”
On his part Katti said he is not discontended and no other disgruntled legislators were with him. He told reporters that he met Yediyurappa and that he cannot reveal internal matters of the party to the media.