Senior Congress leader and seven-time MLA Ramalinga Reddy on Sunday blasted the State Congress leadership saying that different set of rules were followed for different leaders in the party while undertaking Saturday’s Cabinet expansion exercise.

Speculation is rife that Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was dropped from the Cabinet, would quit the membership of the Legislative Assembly and join the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Reddy sought to know, “If the party has given preference to new faces in the Cabinet, then why senior Ministers such as R.V. Deshpande, D.K. Shivakumar, G. Parameshwara, K.J. Geroge, and M.B. Patil are in the Cabinet?”

Mr. Reddy questioned the criteria adopted for induction of MLAs into the Cabinet. “There’s a kaalachakra (wheel of time). Those who are on the top will have to come down and those at the bottom will go up,” said Mr. Reddy, who was one the Ministerial aspirants but did not make it to the Cabinet.

“The Congress party is not anybody’s property. I did not ask for a Cabinet berth. But why different sets of rules were followed for other leaders while expanding the Cabinet,” Mr. Reddy said.

Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is upset after he was dropped from the Cabinet, held discussions with his party workers in Gokak.

In an audio clip widely shared on social media on Sunday, Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi seems to suggest he would resign along with some other MLAs. But he would not reveal their numbers, he tells a follower. He is heard as saying that the decision would be implemented in a week or so.

However, Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi declined to speak to reporters in Gokak on the issue on Sunday.

Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi has been unhappy over the alleged interference of Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar in the political and administrative affairs of Belagavi.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi’s brother and newly sworn-in Minister Satish Jarkiholi denied that the Cabinet expansion would affect the longevity of the coalition government.

“Nothing will happen. We will sort out everything,” he said.

The former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who seems to have played a vital role in the induction of new faces, on Sunday said, “Disappointment among leaders is natural during reshuffles. There is no need to be alarmed about it.” Mr. Siddaramaiah, who stopped for a few minutes at Sambra airport in Belagavi en route to Bagalkot, said he would speak to Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi and appeal to him to work for the party to ensure its victory in the Lok Sabha elections in Belagavi.

KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said he was in touch with B.C. Patil, Hirekerur MLA who is also upset over not being made a Minister, but he could not trace Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi.

Kharge displeased

Staff Reporter from Kalaburagi writes:

Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge has expressed displeasure over the coalition government not giving ministerial berths to legislators from Kalaburagi district.

“Though I had suggested to the party leaders to induct an MLA from Kalaburagi district into the Cabinet, the party has not considered my word,” Mr. Kharge told reporters here on Sunday.

“AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, Mr. Rao and Mr. Siddaramaiah finalised the names of legislators to be inducted into the Cabinet. However, those who missed getting ministerial berths are pointing fingers at me,” Mr. Kharge said.