Senior BJP MLA in Karnataka, KS Eshwarappa has sparked a political friction through his comments of urging the ruling BJP government to appoint him as a minister without which he will not be attending the Assembly session. The event of what appears to be coercing the government has drawn huge attention amidst the controversy over the government's move to unveil Hindutva stalwart Savarkar's potrait in the assembly. 

Eshwarappa on Monday said that he will not attend the Assembly session until he is made a minister. Eshwarappa is an MLA elected from the Shivamogga constituency and he was serving as the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister in Karnataka until his resignation earlier this year. Eshwarappa resigned his ministerial post following a Belagavi-based contractor Santhosh Patil's suicide in a Udupi hotel accusing the Minister of demanding 40 per cent commission. 

Now, Eshwarappa claimed that the probe into the death of the contractor gave him a clean chit and that he is being denied a ministerial post. Speaking to the reporters on Monday, Eshwarappa said that he would go to Belagavi which is hosting the Assembly session and he will not attend it. "The purpose of going to Belagavi is to submit a letter to Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri seeking his permission to not attend the entire session", he added. 

By citing that the people shouldn't be punished after getting a clean chit from the crime they are accused of, Eshwarappa said, "But, in my case, the verdict has come and clean chit has been given, but Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai regarding giving me a ministerial berth has been informing I will be made minister either today or tomorrow. The Chief Minister says he will make me a minister and insists that people like me should be in the cabinet but I don't know why he is not including me in the cabinet." 

He further said, "People, workers, and pontiffs of various ashrams from across the state have been asking me why I have not been made a minister yet. Even I feel hurt and humiliated when they sympathetically enquire with me. I have started this humble protest of not attending the Assembly session with the sole objective of making them (BJP leadership) understand." 

Currently, Karnataka has 28 ministers against its 34 sanctioned ministerial berths and as the state is going for the assembly election in four months, senior BJP leaders like Eshwarappa are taking efforts to get inducted into the cabinet to strengthen their vote base during the polls.