Cabinet expansion: Cong-JDS panel to take call on Dec 5
Bengaluru, Nov 30: The coordination committee of the ruling Congress-JDS coalition will meet here on December 5 and decide on the much-awaited cabinet expansion, its chief Siddaramaiah said Friday.
Also, Siddaramaiah, a former chief minister, along with state Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao rejected reports about disgruntled Congress MLAs planning to skip the coming legislature session.
Siddaramaiah, who is the Leader of the Congress legislature party, said Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will be invited to a CLP meeting likely to be held on December 8 so that the MLAs can take up issues concerning their constituencies.
"We will expand the cabinet at the earliest. On December 5 we have called a coordination committee meeting, where we will discuss all issues - when to expand the cabinet... We will discuss in the meeting and take a decision," he told reporters here.
His comments come a day after Rao said the JDS-Congress ministry would be expanded before the winter session of the state legislature commencing on December 10.
Replying to a question on why Kumaraswamy, a JDS leader, was being invited to the CLP meeting, Siddaramaiah said: ...this is a coalition government, whom should MLAs tell about the issues concerning their constituencies- it is te Chief Minister. So we will invite him to the meeting."
According to sources, the decision to invite Kumaraswamy has been made as there is growing discontentment among the Congress legislators about the functioning of the government and alleged discrimination towards them in development works.
Siddaramaiah termed as "baseless" and "not true" reports that some disgruntled Congress legislators were planning to camp in Mumbai ahead of assembly session from December 10 under state Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi's leadership.
Gundu Rao also termed the reports as "rumour".
"No one will go, cabinet is getting expanded, we will appoint heads to boards and corporations...this is a rumour, no one is going, government is stable and we will conduct the session effectively," he said.
Earlier in the day, Jarkiholi himself denied the reports and claimed attempts were being made by some "self proclaimed influential party leaders" to damage his image.
The reports came amidst growing clamour among Congress legislators for expansion of the cabinet at the earliest and their alleged discomfort regarding the functioning of the government.
According to the pact reached between the two partners at the time of formation of the coalition government in May, there are now six vacant ministerial positions left for the Congress and two for the JD(S).
This will be the second expansion of Kumaraswamy's ministry, who currently heads the 26-member cabinet.
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Mangaluru: Man sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment in POCSO case
Mangaluru: A court in Mangaluru has sentenced a 44-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to Deccan Herald, the Additional District and Sessions Judge, FTSC-II (POCSO), Maanu K S, delivered the judgment.
The convict has been identified as Dayanand Moolya (44).
According to Special Public Prosecutor Sahana Devi Boloor, the incident occurred on November 16, 2025, when a seven-year-old girl was studying alone at home and the accused illegally entered the house and raped her. He threatened to kill her and throw her into a well if she revealed it to anyone.
The survivor later informed her mother, following which a complaint was registered at Mulki Police Station on November 22. Police Inspector Manjunath B S investigated the case and submitted the charge sheet to the court.
For the rape, under POCSO Section 6, along with Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act 65(2) and POCSO 4(2), the man has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 30,000. For illegal entry into the house, under BNS Section 332(B), the convict has been sentenced to three years of simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000. For issuing death threats, under BNS Section 351(3), he has been sentenced to two years of simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000.
The court also directed payment of Rs 4 lakh as compensation to the survivor, including Rs 40,000 from the fine amount, and instructed the District Legal Services Authority to provide the remaining Rs 3.60 lakh.
