BENGALURU: The much-delayed expansion of the H D Kumaraswamy cabinet is almost certain to happen in the second week of October. The state Congress leadership and Chief Minister Kumaraswamy are likely to head to New Delhi on Sunday (October 6) to hold talks with All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi in this regard.
Kumaraswamy met his deputy G Parameshwara on Tuesday morning in Bengaluru and discussed about the ministry expansion, nominations to boards and corporations and fighting bypolls to Jamakhandi and Ramanagara Assembly constituencies unitedly. The Congress is likely to fill all the six vacant slots, while JD(S) is set to complete its quota by inducting one.
The ministry expansion is proving to be a herculean task for the Congress with too many contenders. Party leaders M B Patil, B K Sangamesh, Ramalinga Reddy, H K Patil, BC Patil, M T B Nagaraj, C S Shivalli, E Tukaram, B Nagenda, Dr K Sudhakar and Rahim Khan are among the front-runners.
Anita likely to contest from Ramanagara
Coalition partners Congress and JD(S) are set to fight the bypoll to Jamakhandi and Ramanagara together. While Congress will contest the Jamakhandi seat, JD(S) will put up its candidate in Ramanagara.
The byelection to Ramanagara has been necessitated following Kumaraswamy’s resignation as he was also elected from Chennapatna. JD(S), which sees Ramanagara as a bastion of the Gowda family, is mulling fielding Anita Kumaraswamy in the bypoll.
Anand Nyamagouda is likely to be fielded by Congress in Jamakhandi.