Will honestly fulfill expectations of leadership: Somanna on being chosen to Modi's cabinet

Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader and Former Karnataka Minister V Somanna on Sunday said he will honestly work towards fulfilling the expectations of the party leadership on him as the minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet, which will be sworn in this evening.

He said he has no expectations regarding the portfolio and will serve in the department assigned to him by the prime minister with an aim to ensure that the government's benefits reach the people.

"Our party gave me an opportunity from Tumkur, I won from there, I have fulfilled the various responsibilities given to me by the party. Considering all this our state and central leadership have given me this opportunity. I thank them and the people of Tumkur, and workers and leaders of both BJP and JD(S)," Somanna said.

While speaking to reporters in New Delhi after meeting with PM Modi, he said, he will work honestly to fulfill the responsibility given to him, by serving the people of the country, using his 45 years' political experience.

'The challenge before me is to work to ensure that the benefits provided by the government reach the people of the country equally,' he added.

Somanna won the Tumkur Lok Sabha segment by a margin of 1,75,594 votes, against Congress' S P Muddahanumegowda.

Asked about meeting with PM Modi, Somanna said, 'In a friendly way he (PM) spoke to us and advised on various topics, and asked us to work towards ensuring the fulfilment of the intention with which we are being made the ministers.' 'He also asked us to keep in mind the party and the unity of the NDA,' he said, adding that he will work to fulfill Modi's expectations, and would work in whatever portfolio assigned to him. 'I have no such expectations (of a specific portfolio).'

The 73-year-old had served as Housing Minister in the previous BJP government in the state, and had unsuccessfully contested 2023 assembly polls from Varuna against now Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress, and also in Chamarajanagar assembly segment.