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Congress’ victory in three States — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — has come as a shot-in-the-arm for the Janata Dal Secular (JD-S), which is in a coalition with the Congress in Karnataka.
The six-month-old Karnataka government, headed by HD Kumaraswamy, who cobbled up the coalition to form the government at short notice by his father, has managed to keep senior Congress leaders away from the government.
With the Congress’ proposal to expand the Cabinet, which has six vacant seats, the party is grappling with ruffled seniors, who are making serious efforts to get on board.
Former chief minister Siddaramaiah, who is also the JD(S)-Congress coordination committee chairman, has been the rallying point for disgruntled legislators. Siddaramaiah is in disagreement with his party’s decision to fill the Legislative Council chairman’s post by opting for senior Congress leader from coastal Karnataka, K Prathapchandra Shetty, instead of SR Patil, a prominent leader from north Karnataka.
Few Congress leaders feel the party’s central leadership’s choice is being looked at as a setback for Siddaramaiah.
At Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meet in Belagavi on Tuesday, a few legislators said the Congress has to face the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alone in North Karnataka, while the party is going with JD(S) in Old Mysore.
CLP also discussed Cabinet expansion, and CLP leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao reportedly acknowledged the demand for inclusion of legislators from North Karnataka.
Meanwhile, many senior leaders and Cabinet aspirants, including former ministers Ramalinga Reddy, Roshan Baig and MB Patil, skipped the meet. Municipal Administration Minister Ramesh Jharkiholi, also kept away from the meeting.
“Cabinet expansion has been scheduled for December 22. Legislators demanded that priority be given to North Karnataka in the Cabinet expansion, and appointment of chairpersons to boards and nominations,” Siddaramaiah said.
What observers say
Instead of giving the JD(S) — which has 38 seats in the Legislative Assembly — the jitters, the Congress seems to have strengthened its position in the coalition set-up, said observers.
HD Kumaraswamy, who had to address the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) on Tuesday, kept away.
“All elements who were trying to rock the coalition boat will not succeed for the moment,” a senior JD(S) Minister told BusinessLine .
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