“Ramesh Jarkiholi is a powerful leader. He can get any number of Congress and Janata Dal(S) MLAs into the BJP,’’ district in- charge Minister Govind Karjol said in Belagavi on Wednesday.
He told journalists that he had no idea about Ramesh Jarkiholi’s claim that 16 Congress MLAs and three from the Janata Dal(S) are in touch with him, wanting to join the BJP. “I don’t know who is in touch with him, but I know that he is a powerful leader and he can get any number of Congress and Janata Dal(S) legislators to our party,’’ he said.
He said that some Congress leaders are trying to accuse the BJP of not going forward with the Mahadayi and other irrigation projects of North Karnataka. It is the Congress that did nothing for North Karnataka.
“But its leaders are blaming us. We are taking sincere steps towards getting due clearances and going ahead with the Mahadayi and other projects,” he said.
He said that the expansion of the State Cabinet is a matter of the Chief Minister’s discretion and that he will not comment on it.
