I have never lobbied for cabinet berths, said former Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy
With six vacant cabinet berths in Karnataka to fill and too many claimants, the Congress seems to be in no hurry. It has been weeks since the government formation, and lawmakers left out in the first cabinet expansion, who haven't taken too kindly to it, keenly await the next round.
Former Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who finds himself without a portfolio, says he never lobbied for one.
"See, four times I was a minister. Only once I went to Mr Siddaramaiah to clarify some allegations, some people who are against me. Other than that I never lobbied. Even this time also, I never met Siddaramaiah, I never met Parameshwara", he told NDTV.
Former Irrigation Minister MB Patil, who spearheaded the demand by Karnataka for separate religion status to Lingayats, became a rallying point for other Congress leaders who had hoped for a place in the cabinet. Mr Patil met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi but sources say even if he is offered a berth now, he feels the damage to his image has been done.
But the Congress leadership does not seem to feel any pressure to urgently fill the vacant berths.
When asked about Mr Patil meeting other disgruntled lawmakers, former Chief Minister and chairperson of the coalition's coordination committee Siddaramaiah said "don't ask me this now."
The party's central leadership had indicated that the performance of new ministers would be watched and some of those sworn in may be changed if they don't perform. And filling the vacant berths may also kill the hopes of those still waiting, leading to more unrest.
The political future of leaders like Dinesh Gundu Rao, Roshan Baig, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, HK Patil, Tanveer Sait also hangs in the balance and this has caused a sense of resentment --- if not open rebellion.
The 2019 Lok Sabha elections are not that far away. And the Congress in Karnataka knows it needs to keep its senior leaders happy. But with not enough cabinet berths to go around, it has led to bad blood in the party.