Housing Minister V. Somanna, who is also the Minister in-charge of Mysuru district, called on former Minister A.H. Vishwanath at the latter’s residence in the city on Tuesday.
Mr. Vishwanath, who was one of the key coalition MLAs who resigned from the Assembly in July, lost in the recent byelections from Hunsur Assembly constituency in Mysuru district when he contested as a BJP candidate. Mr. Somanna’s visit to Mr Vishwanath’s residence assumes significance in the light of the reported promise to the latter of not only a berth in the B.S. Yediyurappa’s Ministry but also the post of Minister in-charge of Mysuru district. The speculations over Mr. Vishwanath’s entry into the Cabinet had continued even after his loss in the byelections.
After meeting Mr. Vishwanath, Mr Somanna told reporters that he was hurt over the former Minister’s electoral loss. However, he said victor and loss were two sides of the same coin and wished Mr Vishwanath the best for the future.
When asked about Mr. Vishwanath’s possible entry into the Cabinet, Mr. Somanna said the decision was left to Mr. Yediyurappa and the BJP High Command. He said he does not know what decision the party leadership had taken with regard to accommodating Mr Vishwanath in the Cabinet.However, he said Mr. Yediyurappa would protect the interests of people, who had placed their trust in him.
Earlier in the morning, while fielding reporters’ queries, Mr. Somanna said the party leadership had barred anybody from making comments on the Cabinet expansion. When asked about his responsibilities as the Minister in-charge of the district, Mr. Somanna said he loved Mysuru. “Who doesn’t like Mysuru? Everbody loves Mysuru,” he said, expressing his desire to contribute to its development.
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