'Not consulted' over key appointments in boards, corporations, says Home Minister G Parameshwara
Bengaluru: Even as deliberations are on to finalise the appointment of Congress legislators and workers to key positions in various state-run boards and corporations, some senior leaders have expressed discontent, with Home Minister G Parameshwara openly saying he was not consulted.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, however, tried to clarify, saying that no leader has been contacted, as the process is still in the ''preliminary stage''.
Congress General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala is in the city today to discuss the exercise with the party's state leadership. He had been here last week as well for such a meeting.
The appointments are among the issues on which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have certain differences of opinion, according to party sources.
Speaking to reporters, Home Minister Parameshwara said in response to a question: ''No, I have not been consulted. If consulted, it would have been good. I was party president for eight years and could have given suggestions as to who would be politically beneficial in the current situation and also on seniority.'' He continued, ''They (party leadership) too are aware of it, but if we were also consulted it would have been good. They may finally decide after taking the high command's consent; let them do it.'' The minister also said he was not aware of when the list would be finalised. There has been some disgruntlement and growing impatience within a section of the Congress party. Some legislators who did not make it to the cabinet and were aspiring for key posts in boards and corporations are unhappy about the delay in appointments.
Other party members are also upset about the ''delay in rewarding loyal workers'' despite the Congress having been in power for more than six months now. Responding to a question on Parameshwara's comments, Siddaramaiah said, ''Not only Parameshwara, no one's opinion has been taken yet. It (discussion) is still at the preliminary stage... The list has not yet been finalised, so for me to comment on it will not be right.'' Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar said discussions about the appointments are on. The list, once finalised, would be sent to the party's high command for approval, he added.
''It is our routine work, it's party work... He (Surjewala) was busy (all these days). We have held two to three rounds of meetings. Today also we will be meeting. The list has to go to Delhi. After that, we will make the information known,'' Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on his meeting with Surjewala.
The party's state unit president had recently indicated that about 15 to 20 party MLAs and MLCs would be accommodated in key positions, and the rest of the posts would be distributed among loyal party workers.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
