Portfolios split open Congress camp in Karnataka

BENGALURU: Disgruntled Congress MLAS, angered at being overlooked for ministerial posts in the Cabinet expansion of the Congress-janata Dal (Secular) government, are threatening to destabilise the party if they are not accommodated soon in the six vacant berths.

At the forefront of the dissidence is former minister and leader of the separate Lingayat religon movement MB Patil. The MLA from Babaleshwar in Vijayapura district on Friday said he would not settle for anything less than the deputy chief minister’s post.

Patil’s public criticism came in the backdrop of parleys between him and senior state leaders, including CM and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy who visited his house. Earlier, deputy CM and state Congress president G Parameshwara also met Patil.

After the meeting, Kumaraswamy said he met Patil as the leader of the coalition government and to ensure it did not face any troubles.

“I have no part to play in the internal decisions of Congress, but I met Patil as the leader of the coalition government. It is now my duty to ensure that the feelings of these leaders are conveyed to the Congress so that they can address it,” he said. Among those who have been angered by their exclusion are former minister HK Patil, All India Congress Committee secretary Satish Jarkiholi, Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Shamanur Shivashankarappa.

Patil, a close aide of former CM Siddaramaiah, said his pride had been hurt by the exclusion. “Kumaraswamy is the CM and leader of the coalition but he has got nothing to do with the internal decisions of Congress,” Patil said. “I am not alone, there are 15-20 people with me, like Satish and Ramesh Jarkiholi. We are discussing how to strengthen the party, none of us has thought of quitting the party,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jarkiholi, whose brother Ramesh has been inducted into the Cabinet, confirmed to HT that he would soon resign from his post in the AICC “within a few days”.

HDK, PARAMESHWARA KEEP PLUM PORTFOLIOS

Kumaraswamy and deputy CM G Parameshwara kept plum portfolios with themselves in the coalition government, taking charge of some contentious ministries for which many leaders had lobbied.

The coalition government released a list of portfolios on Friday, which revealed Kumaraswamy would be in charge of 11 portfolios and departments including finance, energy and excise apart from those not assigned to anybody.