Bengaluru: More than 80 MLAs have started lobbying for the pending 24 ministerial posts in the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led state Government. On a daily basis, the aspirants visiting CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar and High Command leaders’ house to influence them.
Influential Leaders M. B. Patil, Zameer Ahmed Khan, Satish Jarakiholi and K. J. George became ministers in first instalment.
Two days ago, Shiva Kumar instructed MLAs not to visit his house for ministerships, instead strive hard to concentrate towards Loksabha polls. But the rush of aspirants did not stop. The list too is still long. H. C. Mahadevappa, Basavaraja Rayareddy, Dinesh Gundurao, E. Tukaram, Rahim Khan, S. S. Mallikarjuna, K. M. Sivalingegowda, Ishwara Khandre, Ajay Singh, Krishna Byregowda, Vinay Kulkarni, U. T. Khader, Santosh Lad, Vijayananda Kashappanavar, K. N. Rajanna, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, M. Krishnappa, K. N. Rajanna, Shivaraja Thangadagi, Srinivas Mane, Rizwan Arshad, and H. Y. Meti among others. MLAs who identify with DyCM D. K. Shivakumar’s faction are Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Tanveer Sait, Madhu Bangarappa, Kunigal Ranganath, Salim Ahmed, N. A. Harris and Ponnanna. The Senior Leaders Dr. G. Parameshwara, K. H. Muniyappa, Ramalinga Reddy and Priyank Kharge became ministers who influenced at the High Command level, while B. K. Hariprasad, Laxman Savadi, and Jagdish Shettar are in the waiting.
This time the voters of state have given Congress an overwhelming majority. This time there are 8 to 10 MLAs in the Congress party who are over 70 years of age. All of them were elected four to five times as MLAs. Besides, many MLAs have experience of working as ministers in the past. So, of course, these seniors are hoping that they would get a ministerial position. Similarly, there are quite a number of young MLAs. Overall, we have to wait and see what kind of solution the state and national leaders of the party will find for their lobbying.
The swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and eight ministers took place on May 19 and the disgruntled MLAs who did not get a chance stayed away from the ceremony.
Former Ministers Dinesh Gundurao, Basavaraja Rayareddy, and Santhosh Lad were absent. Many MLAs including K. N. Rajanna, Byrati Suresh, Raghavendra Hitnal, Tukaram, Rizwan Arshad, and Madhu Bangarappa were also absent at the swearing-in ceremony.