Bangalore: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is camping in New Delhi for finalising the names of Ministers to be inducted into his Council of Ministers, is likely to return to Bangalore for the swearing-in of at least 20 Ministers on Friday, for which the officials have been instructed to make arrangements.
Speaking to presspersons before meeting senior Congress leaders such as AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, he answered in the affirmative to whether he would have a Ministry with a clean image.
Ministers of State
Sources close to the leaders said that the Ministry would be expanded in two instalments by accommodating some junior legislators as Ministers of State. “Let them get some experience before becoming Cabinet members,” a senior party leader said.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also held discussions with leaders lobbying with those close to the high command for a berth in the Cabinet and ascertained their views.
Letter to Sonia
Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara, who has been in the national capital since Tuesday, reportedly submitted letters, including one from the nonagenarian freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy, requesting the party not to include leaders facing charges of illegal mining or denotification of land to party president Sonia Gandhi.
Age factor
However, the leaders are yet to finalise the names of Ministers from Dharwad, Bijapur, Belgaum, Davangere and Mysore districts. It is stated that those who have crossed the age of 70 may not be considered for a berth and they would be drafted for preparing the party for the coming Lok Sabha elections.
The Chief Minister is expected to call on President Pranab Mukherjee and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi before returning to Bangalore.
Frontrunners in Siddu ministry
BANGALORE: A two-tier ministry is slated to be formed by chief minister Siddaramaiah over the weekend.
While the aspirants are many, the most likely probables include seniors like;
KPCC president G Parameshwara, H K Patil, R V Deshpande, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, T B Jayachandra, Vasanth Bangera, B Ramanath Rai, Ramalinga Reddy, K R Ramesh Kumar, R Roshan Baig, K J George, Kagodu Thimappa, A B Malaka Reddi, Basavaraj Rayareddi, C Motamma, N A Haris, D B Inamdar, B B Chimanakatti, H Anjaneya, Krishna Byregowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao, V Srinivasa Prasad, H C Mahadevappa, H S Mahadev Prasad, P M Ashok and Satish L Jarkiholi.
Some aspirants, like Jayachandra, have sought specific portfolios. He is keen on water resources as he claims he took up several water schemes in his constituency. Baig wants home as he had held this portfolio when he was minister earlier, while Dinesh Gundu Rao is eyeing urban development.
It is likely that Siddaramaiah’s ministry will not include MLAs who face corruption charges, as the Congress wants to keep its image clean in view of the Lok Sabha elections. A number of aspirants are already camping in New Delhi, lobbying for berths. A clear picture could emerge on Thursday, sources said.
