In a bid to quell protests of MlC’s for their non-induction in the Cabinet, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday inducted senior Congressman and an MlC SR Patil to his Ministry.
This is the second expansion in a week and the Chief Minister had to somersault after open protest by MlCs to include SR Patil into the Ministry.
Patil, 64, was administered the oath of office and secrecy as Cabinet Minister by Governor HR Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan here. Patil was leader of Opposition in the council during the Bharatiya Janata Party rule which ended with the party’s defeat in the May 5 Assembly poll.
In fact a delegation of MlCs went and met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to give a chance to MlCs in the Ministry. The Chief Minister was in Delhi on Friday and held hectic parleys with the high command to sort-out the issue.
Patil’s entry to the Ministry came after strong protest by the Congress members of the legislative Council that none from the State’s Upper House of legislature have been made a Minister by the party.
Siddaramaiah, who took office on May 13, had inducted 28 Congress legislators, all members of the Assembly, to the Ministry last on Saturday. In the 75-member legislative Council, the Congress has 17 members and is in minority. The BJP is in majority with 40 members, including the chairman of the House.
With Patil’s induction, the Ministry has four vacancies. Karnataka can have a 34-member Ministry including the Chief Minister as per the Constitutional arrangement.
The Congress returned to power on its own after nine years in the State winning 121 seats in the 225-member Assembly.