Bangalore: The state will kick off the new year with the induction of two new ministers, senior Congressmen D.K. Shivakumar and R. Roshan Baig, set to be sworn in at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday evening, in the teeth of opposition from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who would have preferred a cabinet expansion after 2014 parliamentary polls.
With Shivakumar bereaved – his father passed away on Tuesday – there is however speculation, that the Vokkaliga leader will take the oath of office at a later date.
The move, comes after the Congress high command overrode Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on his concerns that the induction of the two stalwarts would divide the party in the run up to crucial parliamentary polls in May 2014.
Shivakumar had played a stellar role in winning the parliamentary bypoll for his brother D.K. Suresh from Bangalore Rural, and had expected to be rewarded with a cabinet berth sooner.
In the 34-post cabinet, five seats are still lying vacant. Moves to bring in Manohar Tehsildar and H.Y. Meti, a fellow Kuruba MLA to fill in the vacancies, may not see fruition as the party high command has only sanctioned the induction of the two stalwarts. Two senior legislators may be appointed parliamentary secretaries.
