Is there more to Ananth Kumar Hegde's elevation than what meets the eye?

The State BJP was clueless about Ananth Kumar Hegde being selected as Union Minister The High Command has also sent a message that all decisions will be taken at Delhi State leaders may not be able to get tickets for their supporters

The State BJP is under the shock that all the speculations about Union Cabinet reshuffling expectations were thrown to the wind and a lone MP from Uttara Kannada Ananth Kumar Hegde was selected to the Modi government. Nobody is expressing their anxiety openly but the under current is that the State BJP leaders are now worried if the same shocker would be served during Vidhana Sabha election ticket allotting too, reports Kannada Prabha.

Amidst rumours that new faces that propagate nationality would be preferred in the next election, the step taken during Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre has sent a shiver among all BJP leaders in the State. The High Command has also sent a message that all decisions will be taken at Delhi. There is a possibility of the role of State leaders in the party weakening. Amit Shah had casually mentioned it during his three-day visit to the State recently, but it is being implemented.

State leaders may not be able to get tickets for their supporters, if the same strategy continues. Most of the ticket aspirants are hoping that they could ride on the State leaders. But the sudden change in the reshuffling has toppled their expectations.

The State leaders did not have a clue about Ananth Kumar Hegde being selected to the central government. The BJP leaders collected information about all MPs but did not give any clue about their choice. The State leaders thought the choice would be based on religion and caste in view of the coming elections. While all the State leaders were busy calculating on this till Saturday evening, the Delhi leaders quietly asked Ananth Kumar Hegde to fly to Delhi in the morning without even telling him the reason. Only after reaching Delhi, did Hegde come to know that he would be made a minister.  To that extent the State leaders were kept out of the process. The decision was entirely the Delhi leaders’.  Hence the anxiety in State BJP leaders.

Ananath Kumar Hegde has been sworn in as the Minister of State for Skill Development, held earlier by Dharmendra Pradhan. He was allotted the portfolio within minutes of swearing-in. Meanwhile, speculations that DV Sadananda Gowda would be dropped have proved wrong. There is no change with his post as Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation.