Karnataka: Former Ministers disappointed over not being included in Cabinet

The discontent among senior Cabinet Ministers over allocation of portfolios may have been sorted out by the Congress leadership, but the party is facing pressure over not including senior Ministers who were in the erstwhile Siddaramaiah Cabinet in Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s Cabinet.

After the swearing in of 13 Ministers along with Mr. Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, several senior leaders who failed to find a place are believed to be upset. The Congress, with 135 legislators, is also witnessing intense competition among the legislators, who want to get into the Cabinet, which cannot have more than 34 Ministers in Karnataka.  The expansion of the Cabinet is being expected after Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled on June 18.

Senior Muslim leader from Bengaluru B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan’s exclusion from the Cabinet seems to have not gone down well with the leader, who has been earlier credited with consolidating Muslim votes for the Congress in past elections. His exclusion from the Cabinet, which is expected to be expanded by the month-end, has been attributed to episodes around the Davangere South Assembly bypoll, in which he has been accused of working against the party.

Protests in various places in the State against the dropping of Mr. Ahmed have been reported, and it is learnt that Muslim religious leaders have also met to discuss the issue. The exclusion is being seen as attempts by certain sections within the party to sideline Mr. Ahmed, to allow others leaders to emerge. Meanwhile, D.K. Suresh, brother of the Chief Minister, has also held discussions with him.

Sources close to him said that the former Minister is confident of getting into the Cabinet during the expansion. “The fact that the Muslim quota from Bengaluru has not been filled and the Housing and Minorities Development portfolio not given to anyone is an indication,” the sources argued. Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi told presspersons in Belagavi on Sunday (June 7) that the party high command would take an appropriate decision in this regard and ensure that no community was treated unfairly.

Dinesh Gundu Rao.
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Former KPPC president and former Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who expected a call for inclusion in the Ministry but has been left out, is also learnt to be disappointed. While he has not made any comments, his wife Tabu Rao’s post on ‘X’ is being interpreted politically: “In the battle of religion and castes… I wonder if merit, performance, competence, party loyalty, hard party work and integrity matter! Same in business and worse in politics.”

H.K. Patil.
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Meanwhile, former Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil has been making noises cryptically on ‘X’ after not being given the Cabinet berth. When Ramalinga Reddy, who had resigned — embarrassing the government — over being denied the Bengaluru Development portfolio, Mr. Patil had warned, “His (Mr. Reddy) resignation is a massive wake up call! I urge the relevant leaders to bestow their serious attention to resolve this matter justly.” Mr. Reddy’s path shows that there is a necessity for introspection about the current internal matters in the party, he added. Mr. Reddy has been mollified. Earlier, in another post, while accepting the high command’s decision on the Cabinet formation, Mr. Patil said, “The path is always tough for those who stand by ideology.”

Party sources said that the manner in which the Congress Central leadership has handled the resignation of Mr. Reddy and managed veteran leader K.H. Muniyappa’s discontent has silenced many from airing their views publicly. They stated, “There is disappointment and discontent, but it is not being spoken about publicly.”