Bengaluru: In what seems to be a move to upset Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dr G. Parameshwar’s plans to accommodate as many as party workers possible in state run boards and corporations, Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah’s camp has come up with a plan to further delay the appointments by seeking intelligence department’s inputs on the list of candidates selected and cleared by party central leaders in Delhi.
Central leaders had apparently given the green signal to issue appointment letters to all those who had been “already selected” by them from Monday onwards but, by seeking intelligence input, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is apparently trying to send a loud and clear message to Dr Parameshwar and other leaders that he still calls the shots. As a result, the CM camp may not issue appointment letters to selected candidates in one go and it is likely be done in a phased manner until, Mr Siddaramaiah’s demands are met to accommodate legislators and defeated candidates in the days to come.
The objective of seeking intelligence report on selected candidates is to distract everyone in the party and in the nick of time, the “intelligence inputs” on such matters could provide scope to change the list itself, which may leave high and dry those who are already celebrating.
Speaking to media, a senior leader in the CM’s camp said, “Yes, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has deployed the time-tested ploy of former prime minister, H. D. Deve Gowda to delay appointments if things don’t go his way. Mr Gowda was known to use this ploy to detract political bigwigs likes Ramakrishna Hegde and J.H. Patel to improve his numbers in these appointments.”
The source added that Mr Siddarmaiah is tormented by the fact that central leaders evolved a policy on selection of candidates for state run boards and corporations that hurt his interests the most.
Strongly defending CM’s sudden move, the CM’s camp argued that Mr Siddaramaiah could take such “decisions” only after the list was finalised as he wanted to be doubly sure these candidates are clean. “The party is going though its toughest phase in the state as well as in the Country and no way we can be complacent in any manner. We have already come under public scrutiny over “charges of misappropriation” levelling against four ministers. So, Mr Siddaramaiah wants to have a second opinion through the intelligence department,” the source contended.
The Congress top brass while finalising the appointees for the state run boards and corporaitons, had decided to ignore party MLAs and former legislators and appoint workers.
