Karnataka Congress leader TB Jayachandra’s granddaughter Aarna Sandeep has penned an emotional note to Disqualified Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, requesting him to make her grandfather a minister in the State government. She wrote to Rahul Gandhi after her grandfather was not included in the recent expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet.
Aarna writes, “Dear Rahul Gandi (Gandhi), I am TB Jayachandra’s granddaughter. I am sad that my grandfather did not become minister. I want him to become minister because he is kind, capable and hardworking please. Thank you, Aarna Sandeep.” Aarna’s handwritten letter to the Gandhi scion also contains a golden smiley sticker.
TB Jayachandra won from the Sira constituency in the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023. He received staggering 86,084 votes constituting 45.14 per cent of total votes. The Janata Dal (Secular) candidate R Ugresh received 56,834 votes constituting 29.80 per cent of total votes, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate CM Rajesh Gowda received 42,329 votes constituting 22.20 per cent of total votes, in a contest of 15 candidates.
On May 27, 24 Congress MLAs took oath as ministers in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Dy CM DK Shivakumar and Governor Thawarchand Gehlot; however, Senior Congress leader TB Jayachandra was not included in the list. It is pertinent to note that he has been the Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs in the last Siddaramaiah government.
Meanwhile, TB Jayachandra’s supporters staged a demonstration outside the Chief Minister’s residence alleging that it is a “grave injustice” meted out to the Kunchitiga community as no representation is being given to them. TB Jayachandra has said that he would meet the party’s high command seeking justice.
Apart from TB Jayachandra, other senior Congress leaders have been snubbed in the recent cabinet expansion. Former Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council BK Hariprasad was snubbed.
When asked about his omission from the cabinet, Hariprasad told ANI, “You should ask Mr Siddaramaiah who is the chief minister. I have worked in the entire country… My fight was on an ideological basis. My fight was not to become the minister or the chief minister.”
Furthermore, Congress MLA Rudrappa Lamani’s supporters also staged a demonstration outside Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee’s (KPCC) office demanding a ministerial post for the Banjara community leader on May 27.
“Our banjara community leader Rudrappa Lamani’s name was on the list till last night, but today we saw that his name was not there. If our leader does not get the Ministerial post, we will protest against this because we gave our 75 % vote to Congress in the election, so there should be at least one leader from our community,” said one of the supporters.
It is pertinent to note that turncoats former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar and former Minister Laxman Savadi were also snubbed. Both defected from the BJP to the Congress before the elections. It was reported that Laxman Savadi’s name was dropped over a dispute on rewarding defectors. Savadi’s exclusion was shocking as his defection from the BJP to the Congress, helped the party to secure Lingayat votes in about 30-35 constituencies.
