BELAGAVI – Shrimant Patil, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cabinet Minister in Karnataka and the party’s Kagwad MLA, on Saturday said he was offered money at the time of quitting Congress by the BJP government.
“But I declined the offer of money and demanded that I should be given a good position in the BJP-led government so that I can do social service,” he added.
“It was true that I was given an offer of money. I did not take the money and asked for a good portfolio. Accordingly, I was given a cabinet berth. Now, they (BJP) have dropped me from the new cabinet. However, I have the confidence of getting a cabinet berth in the coming days,” he said.
“I have discussed with senior leaders regarding the cabinet portfolio and Maratha community is also pitching in for me, demanding inclusion in the new cabinet. The senior BJP leaders have assured me that I will be accommodated in the cabinet,” Patil added.
Opposition parties in Karnataka have been targeting the BJP government alleging horse-trading of 16 MLAs belonging to the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) which ended the coalition government of the JD(S) and the Congress.
Later, The BJP formed the government in the state under the leadership of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. When Yediyurappa was asked to step down, Shrimant Patil, who was then a cabinet minister was not included in the cabinet of the new Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. -IANS
