MLAs give a miss to Karnataka Congress Legislature Party meeting ahead of Cabinet expansion Amidst conspicuous absence of many aspirant MLAs ahead of proposed Cabinet expansion, the crucial Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting was held on Tuesday at Belagavi. The absence of many MLAs indicates the pressure tactics and rebellion in the century old party.
The Cabinet is scheduled to be expanded on December 22 but by all indication this will be put off to another date looking at the dissidence in the party. The possibility of a reshuffle comes amidst the unhappiness expressed by various senior leaders in the party who were denied berths during the cabinet formation.
Leaders, including former ministers, who weren’t given berths during the first round of expansion, gave the meeting a miss. They were Ramalinga Reddy, MB Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Roshan Baig and SR Patil, most of whom have openly expressed their disappointment in the past for being denied cabinet positions. There was also north and south divide in the party which has been openly expressed by the MLAs. The Lingayat factor also came to haunt the Kumaraswamy led coalition government. The powerful north Karnataka lingayat leaders in the party like SR Patil, MB Patil and others are openly opposing the leadership and critical of chief minister HD Kumaraswamy for ignoring north Karnataka.
However to douse the fire Dinesh Gundu Rao, president, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has said the cabinet expansion will take place on December 22 but said with rider that Congress president has to clear the names. He said “The cabinet could be expanded and reshuffled. Both are possible. We will be meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi and taking decisions regarding this. As announced, the expansion will take place on 22nd.”