Even as Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that he would take only people with clean image to his Cabinet, 17 newly elected Congress MlAs in Karnataka are facing criminal cases.
A report by the Karnataka Election Watch and ADR gives criminal details of these MlAs and report in this regard has been submitted to the Chief Minister. Now pressure is mounting on Siddaramaiah as some of the MlAs, who are facing serious charges, are intensely lobbying for the Cabinet berths.
According to Professor Trilochan Sastry of Karnataka Election Watch, 17 newly elected MlAs of the Congress were facing criminal charges and urged the Chief Minister not to induct them into the Cabinet. He said, “We have written to the Chief Minister with facts giving all the details of 17 newly elected MlAs who are facing criminal charges. We have also urged him not to take them into his Cabinet.”
The criminal records of the 17 MlAs include causing death by negligence, criminal intimidation, forgery, causing disappearance of evidence of offence, breach of trust by a public servant, cheating and illegal payments in connection with an election. The 17 MlAs mentioned in the report are: Vijayanand Kashappanavar, BM Nagaraj, D Sudhakara, YY Patil, BA Basavaraja, Qamar-ul-Islam, Ajay Dharm Singh, Umashree, SPR Patil, S Rafeeq Ahmed, SS Mallikarjun, DK Shivakumar, RM lamani, Umesh G Jadav, G Hampayya, Jagadish Patil and Munirathna.
Meanwhile, freedom fighter HS Doreswamy has written a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asking him to keep DK Shivakumar, Santosh lad and Anil lad out of the Cabinet. His letter states that these three MlAs have been accused of being involved in the illegal iron ore mining scam. According to him, the Congress, which fought against illegal mining, should set an example by distancing itself from those MlAs who are accused in the scam.
His letter assumes significance given that he was one of the prominent persons from whom Karnataka Chief Minister sought blessings after he was chosen to lead the Congress in the legislative Assembly. Doreswamy was also part of a group of intellectuals and litterateurs who asked the people to vote for the Congress and abandon the BJP in the lead up to the polls.
Another report released by the Karnataka Election Watch reveals that the assets of 92 Members of the Assembly (MlAs), who have been re-elected in the just concluded elections, increased by 72 per cent or Rs 12.62 crore in the five year period between 2008 and 2013. As per the affidavits submitted by these 92 MlAs to the Election Commission, their average assets during the 2008 elections stood at Rs 17.53 crore. This has swelled to Rs 30.15 crore in 2013.
The analysis pegged the average asset per MlA in the State to Rs 23.54 crore, a hike of over 135 per cent since the last election. The highest growth in the five year period was reported by DK Shivakumar of the Congress from the Kanakapura constituency who declared an increase of Rs 175.9 crore. Only three MlAs have shown a decline in assets.
Meanwhile, the exercise to finalise the list of MlAs for the Cabinet is on in Delhi with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State Congress president G Parameshwara having hectic parleys with the High Command to give representation to all. The lobbying even though has shifted to Delhi it has become a tough job for the Congress to finalise the list.
However in his first trip to Delhi after he became Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah told reporters that he would have his Cabinet formed in a day or two. He said, “Right now I cannot comment on any issue. I will be forming the Cabinet within two-three days with people having clean image.”
Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief G Parameshwara had led the Congress battle against the BJP in the May 5 Assembly polls, which brought the Congress to power with 121 seats, eight more than the required strength in the 224-member House.