Is Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mines and Coal Pralhad Joshi on his way to becoming Karnataka’s next Chief Minister? Looking at the warm reception and well-wishes he received at a programme in the Navanagar area of Hubballi, it was clear that he is very much in the race and may become the next Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Joshi was in Navanagar, where he went to a public distribution centre and a primary health care centre. During his arrival, well-wishers and party workers greeted him and flocked to him with floral bouquets. There was a distinct level of enthusiasm among party workers and fans, and security was tight. All of this suggests that Joshi has a strong chance of becoming the state’s Chief Minister, yet whenever the media asks him about it, he just skips or ignores the questions.
On Saturday, Joshi was asked by the media whether he was a front-runner in the race for the post. Joshi responded by saying, “He is neither a frontrunner nor a back runner. The party’s top leadership has never discussed this matter with me in any way. I have no idea what my party’s high command discussed with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. I don’t want to say anything about this, and I’m not aware of any developments,” he said.
Mace’s Maze
When Minister Joshi walked out PHC, he was presented with a silver mace by Navanagar residents and well-wishers. They stated that they will present the mace to Lord Hanuman via Minister Joshi. It’s unclear if Joshi wanted to present it to the Lord.
