Karnataka Chief Minister Rejects Petition for First-Time Congress Legislators to Join Cabinet

Following a petition by first-time Congress legislators seeking a few places in the Cabinet, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Wednesday that the demand was unlikely to be met. While responding to media queries in Mangaluru, Siddaramaiah said, “There is nothing wrong (in petitioning the party leadership) for a Cabinet berth. But, we have taken a decision that first-time MLAs will not be included in the Cabinet”. His remarks came after 31 first-time legislators from the Congress wrote to party leader Rahul Gandhi and president Mallikarjun Kharge, requesting that they be included in the next Cabinet reshuffle/expansion. The Karnataka Cabinet reshuffle, though expected in November last year, is currently in limbo. There are speculations that Cabinet changes will take place only after the Karnaraka Budget Session in March. On vacancies in various government departments, Siddaramaiah said they will be filled in a phased manner. “The government assures jobs for the youth. Due ton internal reservation issue, recruitment was delayed. It will start shortly,” he said. Congress MLCs seek berth Meanwhile, Congress Members of Legislative Council also submitted a representation to the party high command urging it to include five MLCs in the Cabinet. “Inadequate representation of MLCs in the Cabinet creates a sense of disparity and discouragement among the Council members, leading to the perception that MLCs lack political prospects,” they said in their representation. Including five MLCs in the Cabinet “would be both appropriate and equitable,” they added.