MB Patil meets Rahul after being denied cabinet post

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India] Jun 10(ANI): Amid the ongoing row in Karnataka Congress over Cabinet formation, former Minister M.B. Patil, who was denied a ministerial berth, met Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Sunday.

"Whatever I had in my mind, I told him (Rahul Gandhi), he listened very patiently and he was very happy with the information I gave," said Patil.

Quashing the rumours that have been doing the rounds, Patil said he never asked anyone to be the Deputy Chief Minister.

"A section of media is reporting that I want some post which is false. I have not asked for deputy Chief Minister. I am the last person to ask for a ministry," the Minister told ANI.

On being asked if he is disappointed over the portfolio allocation in the state assembly, Patil said, "Who am I to tell about the Cabinet portfolio distribution?"

In the recent portfolio allocation, the Congress was given charge of 22 ministries, including home, irrigation, health, agriculture and women and child welfare ministries; while 12 ministries, including finance and excise, public works department, education, tourism and transport ministries were allocated to the Janata Dal (Secular).

On June 7, Congress party workers protested as expectant candidates Roshan Baig and Ramalinga Reddy were not given ministerial berths.

Apart from Baig and Reddy, the expectant candidates from the Congress party who were dropped from the cabinet include M.B. Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, H.K. Patil, Shyamnur Shivashankarappa, Tanvir Sait, Satish Jarkhiholi, N.A. Harris, Dr Sudhakar, Rahim Khan, Bhyrati Basavaraju, S. Shivalli, Satish Jarakiholi, Eshwar Khandre and M.T.B. Nagaraj. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI