Cabinet expansion no solution to overcome problems: Veerappa Moily
Bengaluru, May 29: An expansion or reshuffling of cabinet would not help JDS-Congress coalition government, which is facing a turmoil after the Lok Sabha election debacle, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said.
He suggested that the cabinet reshuffle or expansion should happen only after ascertaining reasons for the failure of JDS and Congress alliance in Lok Sabha polls.
"I think going for expansion or reshuffle immediately is not going to help. It may further disrupt coalition government's prospects," Moily, a former state chief minister, told PTI.
His comments come amid reports that a cabinet expansion or reshuffle was on the cards in a bid to save the coalition government with Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal, deputed by the high command, holding meetings with senior leaders and ministers and attending a legislature party meeting.
Buoyed by the landslide win in the LS polls, the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party in the 224-member assembly in the May polls last year, is reportedly eyeing to capture power amid reports of a rift between Congress and JDS.
Moily, who himself tasted defeat in Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha seat, said there was no question of Congress withdrawing support to JDS.
"We don't want BJP to form a government at the Centre and here... I think we should save this government and keep BJP and communal forces away which is need of the hour because Karnataka has always been secular," he added.
Moily said the pre-poll alliance between Congress and JDS had not worked for the two in the Lok Sabha elections and they could have won 12 seats together had there been a three-cornered contest.
He said absence of coordination committees at all levels including taluka and district levels, had hit the electoral prospects of both the partners.
"What is the use of having coordination committee at state level. Such committees should be at every level - talukas and districts, which has not happened. Even the Common Minimum Programme, which was approved by the coalition cabinet, has not been printed," he lamented.
Because of the absence of coordination committees at all levels, instances of bickerings were taking place between the coalition partners, Moily added.
He said "lack of resources including funds" played a major role in the combine's dismal performance.
Asked about Congress leader Roshan Baig's appeal to Muslim community to reconsider supporting the party, Moily said he cannot be an opportunistic in making such comments just because he was not given ticket for LS polls and not accommodated in the state cabinet.
Moreover, Moily said, Baig had not been consistently loyal to the Congress and he was in JDS earlier.
"Abusing party leaders openly is not in the interest of the party. Anything on ideology and party matters can be discussed within the four walls of the party," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
