Rotation Plan: Congress’ Karnataka Ministers To Face Shortened Tenure And Periodic Performance Tests

The Congress party has put forward a ‘rotation’ plan for its ministers in the H D Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka, similar to an unsuccessful initiative under the previous Siddaramaiah government, Times of India has reported.

The party said the ministers will have to make way for new faces after two years, while non-performers will be dropped even earlier at the end of an assessment every six months. It’s said the rotation plan aims to keep the ministers busy and prepare them to step aside for those waiting in line.

But party members who could not make it to the cabinet are unhappy, and have blamed the whole exercise on the failure to make the right choices. The party high command seems to have dismissed the dissent by ministerial aspirants, party sources said, adding, “Those who are speaking against the leadership will not be considered for berths in future.”

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara had announced a similar performance assessment for ministers in the previous Siddaramaiah government but it did not take off.

All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Karnataka, K C Venugopal, told the Times of India that this was a three-point formula on the induction of ministers and their continuity. “This is not the final cabinet. The ministers’ performance will be reviewed every six months and those not meeting targets will be asked to go.”

KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao said when the reshuffle happens after two years, the new ministers who come in will have a tenure of three years, but will be asked to go if they don’t clear the periodic six-month performance test.