Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jul 25: Forest and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai, has cancelled all his engagements in the district on Tuesday 25. He is heading to Bengaluru. This development has supported the widespread notion that he is being made home minister of Karnataka.
In all likelihood, the haze will clear and a lucid picture is likely to emerge on this issue in a couple of days. Rai, who is expected to leave the city today afternoon, is scheduled to meet chief minister, Siddaramaiah, the same evening.
As per information, the chief minister, who is insistent that Rai should accept home ministry and relieve him of this burden, wants to bring pressure on Rai, who is said to be reluctant as of now, to accept his elevation to home ministry. Rai, who has already expressed his disagreement to this proposal and is disinclined to become home minister, is going to Bengaluru because of chief minister's pressure to discuss this issue, sources claim. It may be recalled that at the behest of the chief minister, party high command had asked Rai to accept this ministry if the same was offered to him. But Rai had not given any firm assurance.
Since some days, rumours are running thick and thin in Dakshina Kannada district about Rai being made home minister of the state. Currently Siddaramaiah is holding additional charge of home portfolio after KPCC president, G Parameshwara, quit the ministry to devote full time to the party's organizational duties. In all likelihood, things might settle down and a clearer picture might emerge by Friday.