Yeddyurappa’s aides find no place in Modi’s new Cabinet

BELAGAVI: It has been a huge upset for close associates of BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa as none of them made it to the newly-sowrn-in Modi cabinet. Some of the popular MPs, including Shobha Karandlaje, BY Raghavendra and Shivakumar Udasi, failed to make it even as many supporters of Yeddyurappa expected that some of his associates will find a place in the Union Cabinet.

Many leaders from Mumbai-Karnataka, however, have welcomed the inclusion of Suresh Angadi into the Cabinet.“Either Karandlaje, Udasi or Raghavendra should have been included to make Yeddyurappa happy,” said a BJP Lingayat leader in Belagavi.

G S Basavaraj, G M Siddeshwar, P C Gaddigoudar and Pratap Simha, who also are in the close circles of Yeddyurppa, have also been snubbed by BJP top leadership    Although, supporters and some leaders of Lingayats are happy that Angadi made it at last, they wanted Modi to make him a cabinet minister or a minister with independent charge. “Sadanandagowda and Pralhad Joshi, a Vokkaliga and a Brahmin respectively, have been given the cabinet minister grade ... but Angadi, a Lingayat had to be content with a minister of state rank. In the last cabinet of Modi too, Siddeshwar, a Lingayat, was given minister of state grade,” another Lingayat leader said.

Besides ignoring all associates of Yeddyurappa, the party also has kept the “controversial” leaders from Karnataka out of the cabinet, a party leader said adding that the party would always consider Yeddyurappa as party’s top-most leader in the state.