3 weeks ago
Karnataka Congress MLAs angry, resign amid Cabinet expansion
After the Karnataka government picked new ministers, some members of the Congress party were not happy.
Two lawmakers felt upset because they were not chosen to become ministers.
One of them, Basanagouda Daddal, quit his job as the chairman of a tribal development corporation.
He sent his resignation to the Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, but did not say why he was leaving.
Another lawmaker, Subba Reddy, said his area, Bagepalli, has never had a minister since India became independent.
He said he stayed loyal to Congress even when the BJP asked him to join their party.
He said he will not leave the Congress, but he also complained that party leaders did not help him during elections.
A senior Congress leader, Randeep Singh Surjewala, visited the home of another unhappy lawmaker, Priya Krishna, to help calm things down.
The party is trying to ease the anger of its lawmakers after choosing the new ministers.
Raichur Rural MLA Basanagouda Daddal resigned as Chairman of the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd., submitting his resignation to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar without stating a public reason.
Chikkaballapur MLA Subba Reddy expressed disappointment over being denied a ministerial berth, saying Bagepalli has not been represented in the state Cabinet since Independence.
Subba Reddy said BJP leader K. Sudhakar had invited him to join the BJP during 'Operation Lotus' and claimed he refused out of loyalty to the Congress.
Subba Reddy alleged senior Congress leaders did not campaign for him during the Assembly elections and that he received no financial assistance from the party, but he ruled out resigning.
AICC General Secretary and Karnataka incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala visited Congress MLA Priya Krishna's residence in Bengaluru amid protests by his supporters seeking a Cabinet berth.
- Who
- Karnataka Congress MLAs Basanagouda Daddal and Subba Reddy, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Congress MLA Priya Krishna and his father, former minister M. Krishnappa.
- What
- Raichur Rural MLA Basanagouda Daddal resigned as Chairman of the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd., while Chikkaballapur MLA Subba Reddy voiced anger over being denied a ministerial berth following the Cabinet expansion.
- Where
- Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka, India.
- When
- Wednesday, shortly after Karnataka's recent Cabinet expansion.
- Why
- Discontent within the Karnataka Congress over the recent Cabinet expansion and the exclusion of certain MLAs from ministerial positions.
Discontented Congress MLAs
Congress State Leadership
Cabinet representation
Discontented Congress MLAs
Subba Reddy argues his loyalty to the Congress, including refusing the BJP's Operation Lotus invitation, should have earned him a ministerial post, and that Bagepalli has been overlooked for Cabinet representation since Independence.
Congress State Leadership
The state leadership went ahead with a Cabinet expansion that did not include these MLAs, and senior leaders are now visiting disgruntled legislators to contain the resentment.
Party support and reward
Discontented Congress MLAs
Subba Reddy alleges the state leadership did not campaign for him during elections and gave him no financial support from party funds, and that his loyalty has not been reciprocated.
Congress State Leadership
The party leadership has been trying to manage the fallout by engaging with unhappy MLAs, such as Surjewala's visit to Priya Krishna's residence, rather than changing its cabinet choices.
Key facts
- State
- Karnataka, India
- Chief Minister
- D.K. Shivakumar
- Trigger
- Recent Karnataka state Cabinet expansion
- MLA who resigned
- Basanagouda Daddal, Raichur Rural
- Position resigned from
- Chairman, Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd.
- MLA denied ministerial berth
- Subba Reddy, Chikkaballapur
- Constituency without Cabinet representation
- Bagepalli (since Independence, per Subba Reddy)
- AICC General Secretary (Karnataka incharge)
- Randeep Singh Surjewala
Quotes
Subba Reddy
Chikkaballapur MLA, expressing disappointment over ministerial berth
“If I had taken the other route during Operation Lotus, I would have become a minister. But my conscience did not allow me to do that. I believed that one day my loyalty to the party would be recognised. However, the party has not shown the same loyalty towards me.”
thehansindia.com
“Sudhakar asked me to join the BJP. He told me that both of us would together be in charge of Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts. But I refused to join the BJP.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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