Reshuffle Of Karnataka Cabinet Expected To Be Finalised Tomorrow

The much-talked about reshuffle of Karnataka Cabinet is expected to be finalised tomorrow after the second round of consultations Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will have with Congress president Sonia Gandhi amid speculation that 8-10 ministers could face the axe.

Amid pulls and pressures for ministerial berths, Mr Siddaramaiah had a meeting with Ms Gandhi today to discuss the issue which he later said remained "inconclusive".

The chief minister has already signalled that the exercise would involve "dropping a few and inducting a few", and yardstick for it would be giving opportunity for new people at a time when the Assembly polls were just two years away.

The exercise is being undertaken to tone up the government after the debacle of Congress in assembly polls in four states especially Assam recently. Karnataka is the only major state with the Congress in power after losing power recently in Kerala and Assam.

"It was a preliminary discussion. The discussion remained inconclusive. Madam has called tomorrow at 10 am to further discuss the issue," Mr Siddaramaiah told reporters after the meeting.

Asked about the number of ministers to be dropped from the Cabinet and if appointment of new KPCC president was discussed in the meeting, he merely said, "All issues were discussed. It will be discussed again tomorrow in detail."

Sources said that the chief minister has proposed dropping of at least 8-10 "non-performing" ministers from the Cabinet and inducting young legislators and senior Congress leaders in order to balance caste and regional factors.

The faction led by Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge is also impressing upon the leadership that all sections needed to be accommodated so as to keep the party fighting fit in the Assembly polls at a time when BJP is becoming aggressive.

The swearing in could take place even on Sunday if the names are finalised tomorrow.

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara were also present during the deliberations.

The talk in the Congress is that a Lingayat leader should be made KPCC chief. Mr Parameshwara is a Dalit.

A section among Dalits is, however, pitching for Mr Parameshwara to be replaced by a leader from Madiga community, poorest of the poor among Dalits in the state.

The chief minister's camp is pleading with the high command for dropping of several ministers to make the government vibrant.

The ministers whose fate is at stake include: Housing Minister MH Ambareesh, Revenue Minister Srinivas Prasad, Primary and Secondary Minister Kimmane Ratnakar, Urban Development Minister Vinaykumar Sorake, Municipal and Local Administration Minister Qamar ul Islam, Textiles Minister Baburao Chinchansur, Horticulture Minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Health Minister UT Khadar and Labour Minister PT Parameshwar Naik.

Mr Siddaramaiah is said to be underlining the need to bring fresh faces to change the image of the government and speed up development.

He wants to retain the social balance by bringing new ministers from those communities whose representatives would be removed in the exercise.

Among those who are likely to be included in the Cabinet are: Pramod Madhwaraj, SS Mallikarjun, Santosh Lad, NY Gopalakrishna, A Krishappa, RB Timmapur and NA Haris.

Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao is likely to elevated.

Earlier, a section in the party at the central level had favoured a change of leadership in Karnataka taking a lesson from the Assam defeat.

The talk in the party was that if Tarun Gogoi was replaced two years ago, the Congress would have been able to beat the 15 years anti-incumbency in the key north-eastern state.