BENGALURU: Ahead of the Congress government’s Sadhana Samavesha rally to be held in Hosapete on May 20, whispers of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reshuffling his cabinet and the party filling up four vacant MLC posts have come to the fore once again.
The Congress has decided to hold Sadhana Samavesha to celebrate the completion of two years of coming to power in Karnataka. Several senior party leaders, including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is LoP in Rajya Sabha, LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and party general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, will descend on Hosapete to take part in the rally.
Siddaramaiah himself triggered the speculation of a cabinet rejig after he promised to reinduct former minister B Nagendra into the cabinet. Nagendra had resigned as youth services, sports and ST welfare minister owing to his alleged involvement in the multi-crore ST development corporation scam.
“Siddaramaiah had tried several times to convince the top brass to take back Nagendra. But he did not succeed. Even this time, if Siddaramaiah reinstates Nagendra, it would send a wrong message. But in all likelihood, the cabinet would be reshuffled in August,” a Congress leader told The New Sunday Express. The Congress leader further said that 12 ministers, whose performance is not up to the mark, would be dropped during the rejig after getting the high command’s approval.
“Since the government is completing two years in office, the cabinet is likely to be reshuffled. I am hoping to make it to the cabinet as I missed it when the government came to power in 2023. But it is up to the CM and high command to take a final call on the reshuffle,” Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed said.
Meanwhile, the aspirants for the four vacant MLC posts are continuing to lobby as the high command is yet to give its nod for the names proposed by CM and DyCM DK Shivakumar.
“It is to be seen whether the decision on the vacant MLC posts is made within a week, as the CM and DyCM would take the advice of the high command leaders on the matter on the sidelines of the May 20 rally,” a Congress insider said.
After the Hosapete rally, a series of rallies across the state to showcase the government’s achievements are likely to be held. In Bengaluru, a Jai Hind rally of ex-servicemen and patriots, under the flagship of the Congress in appreciation of Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, is likely to be held next week. So, there will be no surprise if the nomination of MLCs gets deferred further, as there is no joint session of the legislature shortly, the source said.
Kharge didn’t give nod for Kothur Manjunath to become minister: MLC
KOLAR: AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge stalled the ministerial berth to Kolar Congress leader Kothur Manjunath, said senior Congress leader and MLC Anil Kumar. Speaking at a programme organised by Congress’ defeated candidate Adinarayana in Mulbagal on Saturday, he said that during the Assembly elections, Manjunath’s name had been declared for Kolar and Kharge’s candidate Muddu Gangadhar for the Mulbagal segment. But party workers did not agree to work for Gangadhar as he was a new face to Mulbagal and pressured Kothur Manjunath to change the candidate. He approached Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shivakumar, and got the party B form for Adinarayana, although just 20 days of campaigning were left. “Kothur Manjunath, party cadres and I worked round the clock and won the Kolar assembly segment. But Adinarayana lost. Later, Manjunath’s name was discussed for the cabinet berth, and both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar agreed, but Kharge was not in favour. He was unhappy that his candidate Muddu Gangadhar was changed,” Anil said.Manjunath said he will try to become minister if there is a cabinet reshuffle.