BANGALORE: There are only five slots left in the 34-member Congress cabinet and aspirants are trying every trick in the book to grab them. Using pressure tactics, from protests to intense lobbying, those who have been left in the cold are trying desperate measures to get a ministerial berth.
Disgruntled senior leaders like D K Shiva Kumar, Dr A B Maalaka Reddy, R Roshan Baig, Malilkayya Guttedar, C S Nadagouda, B B Chimmanakatti, Basavaraj Rayareddi, Anil Lad and Tanveer Sait, who have been denied the cabinet berth in Saturday’s expansion, are said to be trying hard to make it to the ministry.
Some of the aspirants are in New Delhi trying to convince the high command while their supporters back home are upping the ante with protests in their constituencies.
Supporters of Nadagouda have called for a bandh at Muddebihal in Bijapur on Monday. Also, some members of the town municipality, taluk panchayat and zilla panchayat have also decided to tender their resignation. Chimmanakatti supporters who are members of the municipality and taluk and zilla panchayat have also threatened to quit.
S R Patil, who was the opposition leader in the legislative council, is in New Delhi to impress upon the party high command to accommodate MLCs in the cabinet. Siddaramaiah has left out the MLCs from the cabinet. This has caused unhappiness among them, especially senior leaders like Patil, Veeranna Mattikatti, Nazeer Ahmed and C Motamma.
Speaking to reporters, Patil expressed hope that council members would get an opportunity during the next cabinet expansion. He said that council is the Elders’ House and requires representation in the cabinet.
