Raichur BJP MLA meets MB Patil, fuels speculation

BENGALURU: BJP MLA from Raichur, Shivaraj Patil met dissident Congress leader M B Patil here on Sunday, adding to speculations of BJP trying to woo disgruntled Congress MLAs. The two leaders held talks in private for about 30 minutes. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Shivaraj Patil termed it as just a casual, courtesy call without any political strings attached.

“We are longtime friends and our friendship transcends political barriers. I came to meet my good old friend M B Patil as I had not met him after the assembly election. Politics was kept out of our discussion,” Shivaraj said. MB Patil, on his part, reiterated that he will remain a Congressman though he is disappointed with the way the party treated him in the formation of the ministry.

Meanwhile, Irrigation minister and senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar has dismissed BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa’s claims of many Congress MLAs being eager to join BJP as false and misleading.

“No one in Congress wants to join BJP. Differences and dismay among a few members is a common feature in all parties. In fact, many BJP MLAs too are sulking and they are in touch with us. We too can hit back at BJP,” Shivakumar said.

The minister denied any crisis in Congress and said, “We all will abide by the decision of our party high command. We are all united.” He appealed to M B Patil to be patient and expressed confidence that the party leadership will redress the grievance of Patil.“We have to wait for our time. Even G Parameshwara and myself were kept out of power when Dharam Singh was Chief Minister. But we did not lose patience. We waited for our time,” he said.