M.P. Kumaraswamy, three-time MLA of the ruling BJP from Mudigere constituency in Chikkamagaluru, on Thursday staged a protest in Bengaluru accusing his party’s government of “discrimination” in releasing funds to his constituency that has been devastated by torrential rain, floods, and landslips for the last two years.
Speaking to The Hindu, the MLA, who was denied Cabinet berths in the BJP governments headed by B.S. Yediyurappa earlier and now by Basavaraj Bommai, said the State government had not released funds to his constituency under the National Disaster Response Fund and State Disaster Response Fund .
The government released ₹20 crore in 2019 when the JD(S)-Congress coalition government was ruling the State and after that his constituency had received funds in 2020 and 2021. Roads, bridges and other public infrastructure in the constituency was totally damaged by heavy rain, he said, and accused the government of neglecting the constituency which falls in the Malnad region.
Mr. Kumarasamy staged a protest alone, with a placard, in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha.
In 2019, Mudigere constituency received heavy rain and claimed the lives of six persons. Several houses and coffee plantations were destroyed due to landslips. “We asked for compensation, we were completely neglected, we remained quiet,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said.
Noting that the constituency had received heavy rain in 2020 and 2021 too, the MLA said he was unaware of the reasons why his constituency was not considered and others were. He claimed that ₹300 crore to ₹500 crore had been released to some constituencies while his was “totally neglected”.
Simmering discontent
The protest by the BJP MLA against the government is being seen as the continuing simmering discontent within the ruling BJP after formation of the Cabinet by Mr. Bommai. Till Wednesday, Minister Anand Singh had been openly airing dissatisfaction over not being given the portfolio of his choice, compelling Mr. Bommai to summon the Minister and pacify him.
Mr. Kumaraswamy, who was a ministerial aspirant, had recently openly expressed anger against Ministers for not attending offices in the State Secretariat. Ministers visit the Secretariat only during the Cabinet meetings and they were not available even for MLAs to give petitions, Mr. Kumaraswamy had said.
After Mr. Bommai and Revenue Minister R. Ashok gave assurance of releasing funds to the constituency, the MLA withdrew the protest.