No expansion, reshuffle of Cabinet in Karnataka right now, says CM Siddaramaiah
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who reportedly met the Congress High Command here on Friday, has clarified that the state Cabinet will be neither reshuffled nor expanded in the near future. He also stated that the news was generated and spread by the media although he had not hinted at any such occurrence.
Addressing reporters in the city after meeting President of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Mallikarjun Kharge and former President and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah hit back at the media when asked about cabinet reshuffle and expansion in Karnataka. Denying having made any such statement so far, the CM said that the reporters were themselves answerable for it, given that the news was generated and spread by reporters.
He also pointed out that the media houses had published lists of Congress members who would possibly be the new ministers in the Karnataka government.
Siddaramaiah, who further said that the issues of restructuring the volume of the Cabinet, creation of portfolios and expansion were not discussed with the party high command, however, said that senior member Nagendra would be made a member of the Cabinet later.
A conference of the Congress party and the Backward Class organization, ‘Swabhimani Janandolana Samavesha’, will be organized on December 5 and attended by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President DK Shivakumar and Congress leader in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, said Siddaramaiah. He clarified that he had no information of any ‘anonymous letter’ regarding the conference to the high command and added that AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge too had made no reference to such communication during their meeting on Friday.
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Integrity of electoral process severely compromised, Cong to soon launch movement: CWC
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress Working Committee met here on Friday and adopted a resolution alleging the integrity of the entire electoral process was being severely compromised against which the party would soon launch a movement.
In the resolution of the top body of the Congress, the party said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission".
The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal".
Asked why the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group".
"The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.
"Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution.
He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters.
About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation".
