BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was eager to fill the two vacant berths in his cabinet, but the Congress high command is likely to give its nod for a major reshuffle, soon after the Bihar assembly polls in November.
According to sources, more than 50 per cent of the ministers would be dropped from the cabinet, and replaced by new faces to energise the administration.
Party loyalist and chief whip in the Council Saleem Ahmed, an NSUI product, is hopeful of making the cut, and reportedly made a statement during his recent visit to New Delhi that he had missed the bus when the party came to power in 2023. Housing Minister Zameer
Ahmed Khan spoke on the same lines, and hoped that ST Nayaka leader B Nagendra, who resigned as minister over the alleged multi-crore scam in the Maharshi Valmiki ST Corporation, would be inducted.
There is also talk of Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa sacrificing his post for his daughter, KGF MLA Roopakala Shashidhar, and Excise Minister RB Thimmapur being replaced by another SC (Left) leader. Former ED officer and MLC Sudham Das’ name is doing the rounds as he is on good terms with both CM Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar, sources said.
Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa may be replaced by another SC (Right) community MLA from Old Mysuru region, and Malavalli MLA PM Narendraswamy, presently Karnataka Pollution Control Board chief, will also be a strong contender, they said.
The CM and DCM have already given a report card on the ministers’ performance to the party high command, based on which they will take a call. Meanwhile, AICC general secretary Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala had also taken feedback on the ministers from party MLAs. Those who are dropped would be given the responsibility of organising the party.
The two berths fell vacant when B Nagendra vacated his post, and KN Rajanna was dismissed for his critical comment on the ‘vote chori’ campaign launched by LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. MLAs from the ST Nayaka community are lobbying for these posts.
It is to be seen whether Siddaramaiah manages to convince AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal to reinduct Rajanna into the cabinet. Rahul Gandhi has asked Venugopal to look into it, according to a source.