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BSY attempts to placate 'rebels' with board posts

BENGALURU: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s effort to avoid possible rebellion ahead of the bypolls to 15 assembly seats in December by appointing eight BJP nominees as heads of various boards and corporations, appeared to fail on Wednesday with one leader refusing to accept the post.

The CM’s offer to those who were defeated by the disqualified MLAs in last year’s assembly elections, was made in the hope of preventing them from contesting as independents.

This, after Yediyurappa had insisted the disqualified MLAs would get BJP tickets to contest, triggering dissent.

However, Sharath Bachhegowda, whose name was recommended for the Karnataka Housing Board chairman post, rejected the offer while insisting he would contest the bypoll “come what may”.

“I have made up my mind to contest from Hoskote ,” Bachhegowda said. “So it’s difficult for me to accept the offer. Neither has the CM consulted me before recommending my name [for the post], nor did I ask for it.”

Bachhegowda was defeated by disqualified legislator MTB Nagaraj in Hoskote. His rivalry with Nagaraj is several decades old. Yediyurappa intends to reward Nagaraj with the BJP ticket for his “sacrifice” of resigning from the assembly, paving that way for the saffron party to form the government.

Former MLA Nandeesh Reddy, who lost to Byrathi Basavaraj in KR Puram, was made vice-chairman of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), but he too is keeping options open.

Another former MLA, Raju Kage, who was defeated by disqualified MLA Shrimant Patil, has been made president of Command Area Development Board (Malaprabha-Ghataprabha projects), while UB Banakar, who was defeated by BC Patil in Hirekerur, was appointed chairman of Karnataka State Agriculture Produce and Processing Corporation.

Nigayya Pujari, who lost to Ramesh Jarkiholi in Gokak, was appointed chairman Karnataka Border Development Authority and Basanagouda Turuvihal, who lost the Maski seat to Pratapagouda Patil by just 213 votes, has been made chairman, CADA (Tungabhadra project).

HR Gaviyappa, who unsuccessfully contested from Vijayanagara, has been appointed chairman, Small Industries Development Corporation and VS Patil, who lost to disqualified MLA Shivaram Hebbar in Yellapur, Uttara Kannada , has been made chairman, North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC). Hebbar had held the post before he was disqualified.

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