CM, KPCC chief discuss ministry expansion

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara are learnt to have held a meeting on Sunday and discussed expansion of the council of ministers, likely to be done after the ongoing monsoon session of the state legislature.

The leaders, it is learnt, discussed probable candidates for induction into the council of ministers. Reshuffling of portfolios and appointment of new KPCC office-bearers also came up for discussion.

Currently, there are two vacancies in the council of ministers. Another vacancy will arise as Parameshwara has already submitted his resignation as minister. He has been asked to continue as the home minister till the end of the legislature session, June 21.

Soon after seeing off President Pranab Mukherjee, who left for Udupi in the morning, the two leaders had breakfast at a hotel in VV Puram in southern Bengaluru. From there, they left to an undisclosed location in a private vehicle. The leaders are likely to hold another round of meeting in this regard with AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, who is expected to visit Bengaluru on June 23, sources in the Congress said.

Vacancies in the council of ministers were created due to the death of H S Mahadeva Prasad and the resignation of H Y Meti following charges that he was involved in a sex CD. While the late Mahadeva Prasad was a Lingayat, Meti belongs to the Kuruba community. Parameshwara is Dalit. More than a dozen ruling party legislators who belong to these communities are aspiring for ministerial berths, the sources added.

P M Ashok, M C Mohan Kumari, Dr A B Maalkaraddy, Rajashekar Patil, D B Inamdar, Basavaraj Shivannavar, (all Lingayats), P M Narendraswamy, Motamma (both Dalits), Meti, H M Revanna, Govindappa, C S Shivalli, ‘MTB’ Nagaraj (all Kurubas) are among the aspirants for the ministerial posts. It is speculated in the Congress circles that Siddaramaiah may keep the crucial Home portfolio with himself.