BENGALURU: The appointment of heads for 91 boards and corporations by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has triggered a fresh bout of protests and differences within the Congress. Though 21 MLAs were rewarded, the clamour for plum posts is now posing new problems for the party leadership.
Many MLAs who are upset with the postings they have got are of the view that their seniority and experience has been ignored in the appointments. The appointment of Periyapatna MLA K Venkatesh, who is a close associate of Siddaramaiah since his JD(S) days, as BDA chairman has not gone down well with most of the party MLAs.
Seniority and ability have been ignored in appointment of heads for boards and corporations. MLAs who are close to Siddaramaiah have got postings in resourceful and politically significant boards and corporations, said some of the MLAs who spoke to Express.
A five-time MLA from Ballari, N Y Gopalakrishna, who has been appointed as chairman of the committee for implementation of the D M Nanjundappa Committee report is not keen on accepting the post. He has reportedly conveyed his displeasure to the CM and said that he would accept the post after discussing it with people of his constituency. He said he would take up the post only if the people feel that the post could be of some help to them.
“I am not among those who are craving for ornamental posts and want to move around in cars with beacon lights,” he said.
Similarly, Baindur MLA K Gopala Pujari is said to have conveyed his reluctance to accept the post of Chairman of Karnataka Forests Development Corporation. Gopala Pujari, who was a strong contender for a ministerial berth, is unhappy after much junior Pramod Madhwaraj from the same district was inducted into the ministry. The offer to head the Forests Development Corporation is seen as a move to assuage his feelings.
Meanwhile, lobbying for the posts by party workers continued on Thursday too with their supporters staging a dharna in front of the KPCC office. Scores of party workers reached Vidhana Soudha to meet Siddaramaiah and lobby for posts.