While ruling out any discord in the party over the expansion of Cabinet, Health and Family Welfare Minister B. Sriramulu on Thursday said that he will wait for the party to take a decision to make him the Deputy Chief Minister.
Mr. Sriramulu, who was at the district party office to distribute invitation cards for his daughter’s marriage, told reporters that there was no case of neglect of Coastal Karnataka or any region in the Cabinet expansion. “We cannot ignore Coastal Karnataka which has been our bastion. The party will give necessary positions to those elected from Coastal Karnataka,” he said.
On his chance of becoming the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Sriramulu said, “I am an ordinary worker of the party. I will wait for the party to give me the opportunity to serve as Deputy CM,” he said. To another question, Mr. Sriramulu said that the BJP has given complete freedom to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in the governance of the State.
On novel coronavirus (nCoV), Mr. Sriramulu said that 57 suspected persons were tested in the State and they were found negative for nCoV infection. Necessary precautions have been taken in the areas bordering Kerala to screen suspected nCoV-affected persons and subject them to treatment in isolation at hospitals or at home.
About the non-payment of stipend to 54 house surgeons from Kasturba Medical College serving at the Government Wenlock Hosptial for the last 11 months, Mr. Sriramulu said that he will take up the issue with Medical Education and Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan.