No minister but BJP in Dakshina Kannada won’t rebel

Mangaluru: Although none of the seven BJP MLAs from Dakshina Kannada have made it to the state cabinet, party leaders here don't anticipate any rebellion that could impact its prospects in the coming byelections.

While in some parts of the state BJP workers came out on the streets after their leaders were not inducted into the state cabinet or were not given an "appropriate" berth, there has been no such reaction in Dakshina Kannada.

Take the supporters of BJP leaders, Haladi Srinivas Shetty and S Angara, who despite being unhappy at the party overlooking them when forming the cabinet, have not tried to make any trouble for it. "The workers and the people here support the BJP and Sangh Parivar and not any candidate or person. For example those BJP leaders who were behind the 'Go Back Shobha,' campaign not only fell in line but also campaigned for her in the parliamentary elections," said a senior party leader, explaining that caste politics too did not play much of a role in the district.

"Despite the Billavas being in majority here, DK has three Bunt MLAs and even Mr Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is now state party president, belongs to the community. An although fishermen have not got any representation either in the Cabinet, they are unlikely to go against the party," he contended.

Claiming that the people of the district voted based on their evaluation of a political party, another saffron party leader recalled that although a Congress government of the past had three ministers from Dakshina Kannada, it lost the next elections " All MLAs from the district, including ministers Ramanath Rai and Abhayachandra Jain, lost. Only U T Khader won," he pointed out.