Cabinet to expand on December 22
Bengaluru, Dec 6: Ending the suspense, the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka has announced that the H D Kumaraswamy cabinet would be expanded on December 22.
The decision was taken by the coordination committee of the coalition that met here Wednesday under the chairmanship of former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda were consulted before deciding the date, Siddaramaiah told reporters here after the over two-hour-long meeting of the committee.
Six members from the Congress and two from the JD(S) would be inducted, he said, adding that it was also decided to appoint MLAs as heads of corporations and boards on the same day.
There has been growing clamour among the MLAs, especially those from the Congress, for expansion of the cabinet at the earliest, with a few openly expressing discontent over the delay.
This will be the second expansion of Kumaraswamy's cabinet, the current strength of which is 26.
The Congress and the JD(S) came to power in May after the state assembly elections threw up a fractured verdict. After the first expansion in June, there was discontent among the Congress's ministerial aspirants.
The second cabinet expansion was expected to take place in October, but it was put off.
Siddaramaiah said then the plan was to expand the cabinet on December 9, but as the legislature session commences on December 10 in the northern district of Belagavi, the expansion was deferred.
It would be done a day after the conclusion of the session on December 21, he said.
The former chief minister, who is also the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), said the coordination committee also decided to appoint a few MLAs from both the parties as parliamentary secretaries to ministers.
Under the agreement reached during the formation of the coalition in May, the chairmanship of 20 boards and corporations will go to Congress and 10 to JD(S).
Kumaraswamy, his deputy G Parameshwara, Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal and JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali, among others, attended the coordination committee meeting.
Siddaramaiah said measures for smooth functioning of the government and speedy resolution of issues raised by MLAs concerning developmental work in their respective constituencies were also discussed at the meeting.
A few MLAs, especially those from the Congress, have reportedly conveyed their unhappiness to the party leadership about the functioning of the government and against a few JD(S) ministers, including Kumaraswamy's brother and PWD Minister H D Revanna.
Siddaramaiah dismissed reports about disgruntled Congress MLAs led by Satish Jarkiholi planning to join hands with the BJP.
None of the Congress MLAs will leave the party and such information is only media speculation, he said.
The Congress leader asserted that the coalition was solid and the BJP's dream of a successful 'Operation Lotus' will only remain a dream.
Siddaramaiah said the coalition would remain stable throughout its five-year tenure.
He also claimed that the BJP will be defeated in the ongoing assembly elections in five states.
Echoing Siddaramaiah's statement, JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali said the coalition government would complete its term.
He alleged that media reports about trouble in the Congress-JD(S) combine were sponsored by the BJP.
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Cong high command will decide by-poll candidates: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid hectic lobbying, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the selection of candidates for the April 9 assembly bypolls to Bagalkote and Davanagere Assembly constituencies will be decided by the Congress high command, with consultations underway based on ground reports.
He said a team has already visited both constituencies and a final call will be taken after discussions with senior leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.
“Whether it is Bagalkote or Davanagere, that is a decision to be taken by the high command. Randeep Singh Surjewala is coming to Karnataka on Friday… A team visited Davanagere yesterday and also went to Bagalkote. They will submit a report. Based on that report, I will discuss with Shivakumar and speak to Surjewala before sending my recommendation,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.
Addressing the internal contest for tickets, particularly in Bagalkote, the CM said multiple aspirants from the Meti family have been asked to remain united.
“Three members from the Meti family had sought the ticket—Mallikarjun, Umesh, and Mahadevi. I have told all three of them that whoever is given the ticket, all of you must work together in unity,” he said, adding that they have agreed to the proposal.
On reports of possible rebellion by one of the aspirants, Siddaramaiah downplayed the claims, saying, “I don’t know about that… They have agreed with me,” while clarifying that he had not asked them to hold any joint press conference.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar, who is also the Congress Karnataka unit president, indicated that consultations are ongoing and a report has been submitted to the party leadership. Referring to the situation in Davanagere, he said several aspirants, including family members, have staked claim.
“I have submitted a report. I have discussed with the Chief Minister… Around 80 family members were called for discussions today. Various aspirants have met me… I will submit my report to the high command, and a decision will be taken within a couple of days,” he told reporters in Delhi, noting that time is short with elections scheduled on April 9.
The bypolls were necessitated following the deaths of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, which resulted in vacancies in the Davanagere South and Bagalkote Assembly segments respectively.
The bypolls are likely to witness a keen contest, with the ruling Congress aiming to retain both constituencies while opposition parties prepare to mount a strong challenge.
