Reason to say cheers?

Excise minister Renukacharya allegedly switched his loyalty from the Reddys to the CM to get the timing of watering holes in the city extended

Excise minister Renukacharya allegedly switched his loyalty from the Reddys to the CM to get the timing of watering holes in the city extended

Excise minister Renukacharya, who was all for the Bellary Reddys who attempted to bring down Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa last year, said yesterday that his loyalty rested solely with the CM.

Renukacharya was responding to the statement of Health Minister Sriramulu, a close confidant of Tourism Minister G Janardana Reddy.

Due to Renukacharya's closeness with the Reddys, the CM has so far reportedly refused to extend the timing of watering holes in the city.

The tourism minister had unilaterally announced that the BJP would take out a march from Bellary to Mysore to counter a rally organised by the opposition on July 25.

"I will participate in the march only if the CM and party President KS Eswarappa approve of it. I have always been a disciplined party worker and will remain one."

BJP MLAs Beluru Gopalakrishna and B P Harish were with Renukacharya when he made the statement.

A source in the BJP said Renukacharya is hoping the CM will fulfill his long-standing desire to extend the deadline for watering holes in the city from 11.30 pm to 2 am.
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Thanks to Renukacharya's closeness with the Bellary Reddys, the CM has so far reportedly refused to extend the timing.

Being the Excise Minister, Renukacharya expects revenues to shoot if he manages to fulfill his promise to hoteliers in the city to extend the timing.

"Now that the handful of MLAs in the Reddys camp can't do much to the government, Renukacharya is eyeing the Yeddyurappa camp. He obviously wants to please the CM," explained a senior BJP leader.

Hoteliers and restaurant owners are understandably upbeat.

"I don't want to comment on political developments," said K Shamaraju, general secretary, Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India.

"However, we would be happy if Renukacharya manages to convince the CM to extend our timing.

We are in fact planning to send a delegation of hoteliers to meet Renukacharya and discuss to kick-start the process of moving in that direction."