Bowing to the growing pressure from the Congress’ rank and file who are demanding a share in power, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kick-started nominating members of the ruling party to various government bodies.
According to party sources, Chief Minister has sought information from his council of ministers about the slots available in their respective departments. This move comes following a directive from the party high command to this effect, a senior party leader, requesting anonymity, told Express.
“The state government can accommodate more than 12,000 to 14,000 nominations to various government establishments,” he said.
Party sources said the Chief Minister has decided to complete the nomination processes in two phases.
In the first phase, nominations to the district and taluk-level state government bodies will be done, and in the second nominations for the state-level bodies will be taken up. The second phase will begin after the general elections in May next year.
Responding to a letter from the Chief Minister’s office, Municipal Administration Minister Qamarul-Islam had replied that in the existing 208 urban local bodies, including eight city corporations and 43 city municipality councils, over 800 party workers can be nominated.
While five nominations each can be made to CMCs and town municipality bodies, three members each can be accommodated to over 157 town panchayats which come under the ministry of local bodies. Islam has written to all the District Congress Committee presidents to recommend the names of party workers who could be appointed as members to various urban local bodies.