BENGALURU: The Congress high command’s decision to allot the Planning and Statistics portfolio to Ballari Rural MLA B Nagendra, who was forced to resign from the Siddaramaiah cabinet amid allegations linked to the multi-crore Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation scam, is being viewed as a calculated political move ahead of the monsoon session of the state legislature.
Nagendra, a prominent ST Nayaka leader, had served as the ST welfare minister in the Siddaramaiah government before stepping down, following allegations of irregularities in the corporation. He had subsequently made efforts to return to the cabinet, eventually finding his way back in the latest expansion.
However, his re-induction has given the BJP an opportunity to put the Congress government on the defensive. The Opposition has made it clear that it will not allow the business of the 10-day monsoon session to proceed smoothly unless Nagendra is dropped from the cabinet or resigns.
In an apparent bid to counter the Opposition’s attack and strengthen its representation among the ST Nayaka community, the Congress has entrusted the ST Welfare portfolio to Challakere MLA T Raghumurthy, another ST Nayaka leader.
BJP’s prominent ST face and former minister B Sriramulu has stepped up the attack on Nagendra, alleging that a leader facing such serious allegations should not continue in the cabinet, particularly when the alleged irregularities involved funds meant for the welfare of the ST community.
Political calculations could become more complicated if the BJP succeeds in forcing Nagendra’s resignation during the session. Such a development would leave the Congress with the task of filling an ST Nayaka slot in the cabinet.
According to sources, Sandur MLA Annapoorna, wife of Ballari MP E Tukaram, could emerge as a possible choice for induction. Her entry would also address growing criticism over the absence of women in the cabinet.
If Annapoorna is inducted, another vacancy could potentially be created for Byadagi MLA Basavaraj Shivannanavar, a Kuruba leader.
Former chief minister Siddaramaiah, who had strongly backed Shivannanavar’s claim for a ministerial berth, is understood to be unhappy over his exclusion.