Bengaluru: Throwing tantrums constantly after he missed the bus during formation of the coalition ministry owing to his role in the controversial issue of separate religion status for Lingayats, five time legislator from Babaleshwara, M. B. Patil finally made it to the cabinet on Saturday.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader disclosed that Mr Patil had turned a hot potato and potent leader for disgruntled legislators in the party. "He has all the resources moreover, he has will to use that resource to achieve his aim. In that sense, he was becoming more dangerous to party in the state. Hence, he has been accommodated. Soon after, the party chose Pratapchandra Shetty as its nominee for the Legislative Council chairman’s post, he was the first to fire a salvo at the party leadership, saying leaders of north Karnataka were being neglected by Congress. Our leadership sensed that he might try to encash on the growing dissent. Hence, the party decided to blunt his attacks and induct him into the cabinet," explained the leader.
Mr Patil was the first legislator to raise a banner of revolt against the Congress for not being inducted into the cabinet during the first round induction of ministers by the coalition government.
Mr Patil, who served as water resources minister in the previous Congress government, had led the controversial movement for separate religion tag for Lingayats. Prior to his induction, he chaired meetings of dissenting MLAs who had missed out on ministerial positions at his residence. Besides, he was constantly airing his demand for creation of a second Deputy CM’s post and also that it ought to be given to a legislator hailing from north Karnataka.
With Mr Patil’s inclusion, the Congress has the advantage of not only adding another Lingayat to the cabinet but also a MLA from north Karnataka. There has been a chorus aboutd Lingayats and MLAs from north Karnataka missing out on cabinet berths.
Last week, prominent Lingayt woman pontiff, Mathe Mahadevi had also demanded: "Never have I made political statements, but today, I must say that M. B. Patil was at the forefront of the Lingayat religion movement. Him being denied a cabinet position because of that is an insult to the entire community."
