Tumakuru: Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of party MLA, Umesh Katti, being in touch with JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy following his exclusion from the state cabinet.
"There is no truth in these reports," he categorically told reporters here, adding that Mr Katti and minister Basavaraj Bommai had met him and had an hour-long discussion with him on various issues.
"It is natural that Mr Katti should be hurt at not being inducted into the cabinet, but I will make an effort to set things right in days to come," he assured.
Mr Katti, who was in the JD(S) before joining the BJP recently, is a senior leader, who has represented Hukkeri in the assembly for eight terms. Considering his seniority, even, his party colleague, Balachandra Jharkiholi, also from Belagavi district, has maintained that he should have been accommodated in the cabinet.
As for BJP MLA, Renukacharya's angry outbursts over the induction of defeated BJP MLA, Laxman Savadi into the cabinet and his exclusion from it, Mr Yediyurappa said he would speak to him and sort out the issue. But he refused to comment on the future of the disqualified MLAs.
On the floods and landslides that have devastated the lives of thousands of people, he said the ministers were at work assessing the damage. "Hopefully, the difficulties will fade away and the farmers of the state will be able to live happily," he added. Mr Yediyurappa, was in Tumakuru to visit the Siddaganga Mutt and pay his respects to the late pontiff, Shivakumkaraswamy swamiji.
