Filling SMK void: Siddaramaiah calls on Ambareesh to smoke peace pipe
Sources close to Ambareesh said he had not asked for any post.
Mysuru: The exit of former Chief Minister and Vokkaliga strongman S.M. Krishna from the Congress, has come as a blessing in disguise for actor-politician M.H. Ambareesh who was in the political wilderness after he was dropped from the state Cabinet.
Realising that political equations had drastically changed in Mandya, the home district of Ambareesh and S.M. Krishna after the latter joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday evening paid a visit to his house in Bengaluru to have dinner.
When asked if Ambareesh was on his way back into the Cabinet, the CM dismissed the visit as a courtesy call while interacting with the media at Malavalli in Mandya on Thursday.
Sources close to Ambareesh said he had not asked for any post. “But the Chief Minister requested him not to quit the party and assured him a good position. In the absence of S.M. Krishna, a strong Vokkaliga leader of old Mysuru, Ambareesh, an equally strong leader of the region has become critical to Congress’ poll prospects,” they said.
They added that ministers M.B. Patil and K.J. George are close friends of Ambareesh and had facilitated the meeting with the CM. They were treated to “naati koli oota” at Ambareesh’s residence and spent 4-5 hours huddled together after dinner. The leaders also got nostalgic and shared some lighter momentss, the sources said.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had telephoned Ambareesh twice- once when he was in Dubai and again during the Ugadi festival. He had told the former minister that he would drop in at his house for lunch/dinner some time after the Nanjangud and Gundlupet bypolls. Again on Wednesday morning, the Chief Minister called up and fixed the dinner,” they said.