BANGALORE: Kannada actor Jayamala’s nomination to the Council has irked members of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) women’s wing.
According to sources, a few ‘loyal’ women workers of the party are furious as Jayamala was a new entrant to the party and had identified herself with other political parties, including the JD(S) and the BJP in the past.
The issue also came up at a meeting of the KPCC women’s wing held recently. Maintaining that the Kannada film industry already has adequate representation in the Council, they have reportedly expressed their disappointment to the chief minister.
Apart from Jayamala’s nomination, the appointment of Mysore City Corporation corporator Manjula Manasa to the post of State Women’s Commission chairperson also came in for sharp criticism.
“The post, which is of the nature of a quasi judicial authority, should have been filled up by an eminent
legal luminary from the party circle,” a senior KPWCC functionary told
According to sources, the women’s wing members met KPCC president G Parameshwara recently and conveyed their dismay over the two appointments made by the party.
They even registered their strong protest by staying away from the main stage during a two-day KPCC delegation meeting, the sources said.
Taking note of the anger among women workers, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has promised ‘to give adequate representation to them while making appointments to boards and corporations.’
Siddaramaiah said he should not be held responsible for the delay in appointments as “my desire to appoint party workers to boards and corporations ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the state had been thwarted by senior party workers.”
