Kumaraswamy telephones G.T. Devegowda who is at a resort in Kodagu
Mysuru: In an attempt to placate sulking Higher Education Minister G.T. Devegowda and Minor Irrigation Minister C.S. Puttaraju over the allotment of portfolios, CM Kumaraswamy held talks with them yesterday in Mysuru and has been successful in bringing them back on track.
Sources told Star of Mysore that Kumaraswamy held a meeting with C.S. Puttaraju (CSP) at the Infosys Guest House on the outskirts of the city last night. The CM had come to Mysuru on a private visit and drove to the high-security Infosys Campus where his actor-son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is shooting a movie.
After visiting his son on the sets, Kumaraswamy stayed overnight at the Guest House and summoned CSP there and spoke with him. Sources said that G.T. Devegowda was not in Mysuru and as such, the CM spoke to him over phone and summoned him to Bengaluru tomorrow to iron out issues.
Speaking to SOM this morning, CSP admitted that he had met Kumaraswamy at the Infosys Guest House. “We had talks from 11 pm to 1 am and had dinner together,” he said. The CM apparently told CSP that how he (CSP) and GTD (being CM’s close confidants) could raise a banner of revolt over portfolios.
The CM is said to have told CSP that the BJP was keeping a close watch on the ongoing developments and any wrong move either in the Congress or the JD(S) camp would directly impact the Government’s survival.
“I told the CM that I have no problems with portfolios and only my supporters are enraged and have urged me not to accept the allocated portfolio. I also told him that I will handle the Minor Irrigation efficiently,” CSP said.
C.S. Puttaraju (CSP) added that even G.T. Devegowda’s (GTD) fans are enraged over portfolios and GTD’s son Harish Gowda has already spoken to the supporters.
Puttaraju said that the CM will leave to Bengaluru on Sunday and will not meet the media. Sources said that GTD is stay put at a plush resort in Kodagu district and has remained incommunicado even after speaking to the Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK).
While HDK has spoken to GTD over phone yesterday, it is learnt that even JD(S) Supremo and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda had telephoned GTD and tried to pacify him. GTD is expected to reach Mysuru tonight from the Kodagu resort and is scheduled to reach Bengaluru tomorrow, sources added.
For serving people, whatever portfolio should be important, unless they want to loot as much money as possible. It is pity that public don’t have a say on who can become chief minister, who can become a minister and what portfolio they should get. What kind of democracy India is having?
There have been protests galore throughout the State against Congress stalwarts being kept out of the Cabinet by Karnataka Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy.And as if this was not enough followers of senior JD(S) ministers G.T.Devegowda and C.S.Puttaraju are hitting the streets in Mysuru and Mandya to express their disgust about the portfolios allotted to them.Masterminds of the partners of the patched up post poll alliance H.D.Devegowda and Rahul Gandhi have their tasks cut out to quell the dissidents which is threatening the stability of the the rickety coalition. And strangely amidst all the disturbing unrest (reminding us of King Nero of the yore who kept fiddling when Rome was burning) Karnataka Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy has opted to stay in a private hotel in Mysuru with his family for a happy week end.And one of his engagements during the sojourn include watching the shooting of a Kannada film in which his son Nikhil Kumar is doing a role.