Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Aug 5: Right from the period Kundapur assembly constituency was carved out, none of the MLAs elected from here have been made ministers. In most of the cases, the MLAs who were elected belonged to the ruling party. The current MLA Halady Srinivas Shetty, has been elected as a legislator five times from here, but he has not been made a minister even though those much junior to him have overtaken him.

Every time a new government was formed or the ministry was reorganized, the people here fervently hoped that the legislator from here might become a minister. In the past, Prathapachandra Shetty had become Congress MLA of Kundapur four times, but he was not made a minister. However, after he got elected as MLC, he was made the chairman of the legislative council.

Halady Srinivas Shetty

The constituency has witnessed good development even though its representatives were not made ministers. People feel that if the legislator from here was made a minister, some industries small and big, tourism, and a medical college might have been sanctioned.

Before the list of ministers to be sworn in was finalised on Wednesday, Halady Srinivas Shetty's fans who went from Kundapur, demanded a ministerial berth to Shetty with flowers and placards in hand. A campaign in social websites had been undertaken seeking cabinet berth for their leader and many had written open letters in his support. Many articles about his seniority, experience, sincerity and ability had appeared.

At the same time, Halady remains unperturbed. When his fans were fighting for his elevation, he remained in his village. He did not take part in the process of the selection of the chief minister, swearing in ceremony of the ministers etc. He has always been claiming that he does not believe in lobbying for the ministerial position, will accept only those ministries in which he can show some progress if he is selected, and that he does not know what are the eligibility criteria for becoming a minister.