Mangaluru: Despite the BJP winning seven of the eight assembly seats in Dakshina Kannada in the 2018 polls, the saffron stronghold did not get any representation in the cabinet with even S Angara, a six-time MLA from Sullia reserved constituency, who was tipped to become minister, failing to make it.
In the 2018 assembly election, BJP candidates had won all the seats except Ullal. Of the seven BJP MLAs, six- Umanath Kotian, Dr Bharath Shetty, Vedavyas Kamath, Rajesh Naik, Harish Poonja and Sanjeev Matandoor are first time MLAs. Angara was the only BJP candidate to win in the district when the Congress swept polls in the 2013. He did not find place in the JD(S)-BJP coalition government in 2006 or in BJP government in 2008 either.
Party workers in Sullia are unhappy over this, said Mr Angara. “Our workers expected me to become minister this time. I have been following party principles and working for people but it seems like principles were not considered. However I will continue to contribute to party building activities,” he said.
BJP workers in DK are also unhappy that young leaders like Rajesh Naik and Harish Poonja who had defeated senior Congress leaders Ramanath Rai and Vasanth Bangera have not been inducted. Party spokesperson Harikrishna Bantwal is confident that DK will get representation in the next expansion. "Seniors have taken this decision after a lot of thought. We are sure our district will get representation in future," Harikrishna Bantwal said. In Udupi too, there is unhappiness among the supporters of Kundapura MLA Haladi Srinivas Shetty. “Last time too Haladi was neglected. Sunil Kumar (Karkala MLA) has not been made minister either,” a BJP leader said. However, Kota Poojary, who is from Udupi, has been made minister ensuring representation for the district.
