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.
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Snowfall blocks two key roads providing alternative connectivity to Kashmir
Rajouri/Jammu (PTI): Traffic on the Mughal and Sinthan Top roads, which provide alternate connectivity to Kashmir, was temporarily suspended on Sunday due to light to moderate snowfall in the high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
However, traffic on the 270-kilometre Jammu-Srinagar national highway -- the only all weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country -- was plying as usual despite intermittent rains that ended the over one-and-a-half months long dry spell, they said.
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The Mughal road, which connects the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri with south Kashmir's Shopian, was closed for traffic as a precautionary measure after more than three inches of snow was recorded at Peer Ki Gali on Sunday afternoon.
A group of three tea vendors are left stranded on the road and efforts are on to evacuate them to safety, officials said.
After they were trapped in the snow, the vendors made passionate appeals through video messages urging the authorities to rescue them. The Border Roads Organisation has taken up snow clearance work and is trying to reach the stranded persons, officials said.
The Sinthan Top road, which connects Kishtwar and Doda districts in Jammu with south Kashmir's Anantnag, was also closed after moderate snowfall in the higher reaches.
Both the mountainous roads usually remain closed for several months due to heavy snowfall during winter.
