Karnataka: Internal Strife In Congress As Ministers Express Dissatisfaction Over Board, Corporation Appointments

Congress government in Karnataka is grappling with an internal discord as ministers are expressing dissatisfaction with the process of finalising appointments to various boards and corporations.

As reported by Deccan Herald, the appointments were promised to Congress lawmakers and workers as a reward for their performance in the Assembly polls and to incentivize their involvement in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

However, Home Minister G Parameshwara has voiced his discontent, stating that the appointments are being made without any consultation.

The grouse reportedly seems to be that the appointment process is being done discreetly by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar.

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Parameshwara emphasised the need to consult district leaders and prioritise those who have genuinely worked for the party.

“I’ve been repeatedly saying that none of us was consulted. We will know better as to who has done well in the districts,” the minister said. 

"They should be asked to consult district leaders. Instead, our general secretary (Randeep Singh Surjewala) is directly doing it. That’s why the process has gone slow,” Parameshwara said. 

Other ministers, including Ramalinga Reddy and MB Patil, also echoed similar sentiments of dissatisfaction with the process.

In response, Siddaramaiah acknowledged the lack of consultation but asserted that not everyone can be consulted.

“We have cleared everything as far as MLAs are concerned. When it comes to party workers, there is still some discussion required. A list has been given to Surjewala. The list has to be cleared by (AICC general secretary) KC Venugopal,” he said. 

Earlier, the Congress had witnessed a camp war with leaders publicly speculating on Siddaramaiah’s CM tenure. 

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