BENGALURU: Wary of disgruntled legislators rocking the coalition government for not being included in the ministry, the Congress has yet again put off the ministry expansion. Now, the party leaders claim that it will happen anytime after council elections on October 3. The party leaders, including AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal had earlier claimed that it will be done by this month end.
“In the coordination committee meeting, we had decided to go in for cabinet expansion by the end of this month, but now that council elections have been announced, we will do it anytime after the elections on October 3,” former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told mediapersons. In his first such interaction, after his return from the 12-day Europe trip, the former CM claimed there is no crisis in the party. “I am in touch with all our MLAs and no one is going anywhere. It is all speculation and some of it is deliberate,” said Siddaramaiah, who held talks with Minister Ramesh Jarkoholi and other leaders in the party, who are miffed with the leadership.
He said the Congress-JD(S) coalition government is stable and there is no threat.
“The rumours of MLAs toppling the government are baseless and unfounded. There may be slight differences over development in their constituencies and that does not mean quitting. None of the MLAs will leave the party. The BJP, led by their power-hungry leaders, is trying hard to topple the government but any effort towards that direction is futile,” Siddaramaiah stated. On Tuesday evening, Siddaramaiah and other senior leaders in the party left for New Delhi for talks with Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.
“We are going to New Delhi only to discuss council elections and not to discuss cabinet expansion,” Siddramaiah said expressing confidence that they — Congress and JD(S) — will win all three seats as they have 118 members as against BJP’s strength of 104 in the state assembly.
According to sources, during Wednesday’s meeting with the state leaders, party president Rahul Gandhi is expected to discuss current crisis and efforts being made by the state leaders to end it. They are also likely to discuss cabinet expansion and appointments to boards and corporations. Ministry expansion is going to be a tough task for Congress, as some MLAs have threatened to resign if they are not made ministers.