Karnataka Congress scrambles to placate MLAs upset over Cabinet expansion
Amid discontent in the Karnataka Congress over Monday's Cabinet expansion, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and party general secretary Randeep Surjewala on Wednesday met legislators who
Amid discontent in the Karnataka Congress over Monday's Cabinet expansion, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and party general secretary Randeep Surjewala on Wednesday met legislators who were upset at being left out. The outreach was seen as an attempt to contain the fallout after protests by supporters of MLAs denied Cabinet berths. The party also sent Karnataka Congress president B K Hariprasad and some ministers to meet the disgruntled leaders. Even as these efforts continued, some senior like-minded MLAs who missed out in the expansion, in which 19 ministers were inducted, decided to meet soon to discuss their next course of action. Read Full Story The outreach appeared to have had some effect. Indi MLA Yashavantarayagouda V Patil withdrew the resignation he had submitted from his legislative post on Monday and wrote to the Assembly Secretary on Wednesday. Sources said he did so after the Chief Minister and a few ministers persuaded him. A day earlier, with more Congress MLAs threatening to resign after being left out of the expansion, Shivakumar had warned that the party would accept their resignations within minutes and asked them to remain patient, saying posts in state-run boards and corporations would be filled soon.
Gubbi MLA S R Srinivas, who had expressed deep displeasure on Tuesday over not being made a minister, struck a more conciliatory note after meeting Shivakumar on Wednesday. However, he also praised his former party leader and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, who had earlier made him a minister in his Cabinet. A group of ministers also met senior MLA and former minister T B Jayachandra, and Bengaluru legislators M Krishnappa and his son Priya Krishna, to pacify them. Later in the evening, Shivakumar and Surjewala visited Krishnappa's residence and held discussions with the father-son duo. Hariprasad, meanwhile, visited the residences of senior legislator and former minister H K Patil, and former ministers Dinesh Gundu Rao and T B Jayachandra. Speaking to reporters, Jayachandra said, "There are differences, but they should be settled within the party. I hope that the high command and the CM will pay attention to it." Asked about the proposed meeting of like-minded MLAs, he said, "I'm in touch with them, I have also met them. Let's see, we will meet again and decide what needs to be done." Earlier in the day, Hariprasad met Bangarpete MLA Narayanaswamy, Sagara MLA Belur Gopalakrishna and several other disgruntled legislators.
The BriefWire