BENGALURU: Days after 31 first-time Congress MLAs wrote to the party high command urging it to make five of them ministers, a group of 24 MLCs have now put forth a similar demand.
A delegation of nine MLCs led by MLC Puttanna met All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi in November 2025, and presented a memorandum seeking adequate representation in the Karnataka cabinet by making five of them ministers. The delegation included Ramanji Gowda, Sudham Das, FH Jakkappanavar, Basanagouda Badarli, Bilkis Bano, DT Srinivas, and K Shivakumar.
According to informed sources, they met Kharge on the sidelines of a seminar in Delhi. The delegation had also met AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, according to a party insider.
In both the instances, the legislators, mostly from the DK Shivakumar camp, have seemingly taken the initiative and also released the letters to the media now in order to escalate the issue of change in leadership, added the sources.
Puttanna, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, asserted that the MLCs should be made ministers so that they can effectively defend the government in the 75-member Upper House.
“Inadequate representation of MLCs in the cabinet creates a sense of disparity and discouragement among the Council members, leading to the perception that MLCs lack political prospects. This, in turn, prompts capable leaders to seek Assembly tickets instead of contesting MLC elections, causing factionalism and weakening the party organisation,” they stated in the memorandum.
They suggested ensuring minister post to one MLC each from local body constituencies, from graduates or teachers constituencies, elected from Lower House or Nominated category.
They claimed that the MLCs have the influence of their own both as elected members, from 15 Assembly constituencies, and also nominated as experts from different fields.