DK Shivakumar, Roshan Baig finally in, huge crowd ‘left out’

Bangalore: Congress heavyweights D.K. Shivakumar and Roshan Baig were inducted into the state cabinet Wednesday evening, eight months after the party swept to power in Karnataka.

The ceremony was held at the Banquet Hall at Raj Bhavan which can accommodate barely 150 people, leaving a large number of supporters of the two leaders disappointed. Even the media was not allowed inside Raj Bhavan.

Sources said Siddaramaiah, who did not want the expansion at this juncture, contacted leaders in Delhi who however insisted that the two leaders should be made ministers and conveyed this to him early Wednes­day morning.

The portfolios of the ministers are yet to be announced. Sour­ces said Shivak­umar is likely to get energy and Baig, industries.

With placard waving Congress workers thronging Raj Bhavan, even ministers like Krishna Byre Gowda found it difficult to gain entry while former Speaker Ramesh Kumar had to leave his car on the road and walk into Raj Bhavan.  

Next: Ready for debate on cases against me: DKS

Ready for debate on cases against me: DKS

Bangalore: Unfazed by the projection of being a ‘tainted politician,’ Vokkaliga community strongman D.K. Shivakumar started the New Year on a high note, joining the Siddaramaiah cabinet and announcing that he was ready for a public debate on the charges levelled against him.

Two hours after he took oath as cabinet minister at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, Shivakumar drove down to the Congress office on Queen’s Road to meet the media.

He maintained his composure throughout the interaction,  and said that  those who had made charges against him should  come out with documents. "I will give a fitting reply to them," he said.

The Congress leader who represents Kanakapura in the assembly, said he would do everything possible to  strengthen the position of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the party.

Even the SMS campaign launched by a private TV channel had given him a clean chit, he said, adding,  "In the last 10 years, I did not engage in hero worship, but worshipped my party."

When asked why he had settled for a lesser post after expressing the  desire to become CM when the party came to power, Shivakumar quipped, "I may have a thousand aspirations.

But when an internal ballot was held, it was Siddaramaiah who got more votes, so, he was made CM. The party said Siddaramaiah would become CM and I accepted it".

Trying to play down the delay in getting a cabinet berth, Shivakumar said, "I don’t blame anyone. It was my destiny which caused the delay."

He added that central leaders had a different view about the cases against him, however, they were convinced after he  explained to them that the cases were false.

Claiming that he was an ordinary Congress worker, Shivakumar said he would never claim that he was a big leader.

"The Congress has seen me as a worker and has recognised my work," he said.

When his attention was drawn to the likelihood of the opposition BJP using his inclusion as a poll tool against the Congress, Shivakumar replied: "It was during  JD (S) and BJP rule that  false cases were framed against me. I don’t have to worry about them. If they launch an agitation, I will expose them. A national party (BJP) did not field a candidate when my brother contested the recent Lok Sabha bypoll from Bangalore Rural, what will they do now?"

On the issue of senior MLAs being left out, Shivakumar said all 120 Congress MLAs were eligible for a cabinet berth.

"My time has come. I was kept out of the cabinet when the Congress-JD(S) coalition came to power in 2004. I did not cry then. Even during the last seven and a half months, I did not grumble." 

Next: No pressure on me to induct them: Siddaramaiah

No pressure on me to induct them: Siddaramaiah

Bangalore:  Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that he had inducted Roshan Baig and D.K. Shivakumar in his cabinet after consulting Congress president Sonia Gandhi and denied suggestions that he was under pressure.

The induction of Shivakumar and Baig came in just a month after Siddaramaiah secured the resignation of mining baron Santosh Lad as minister over allegations of illegal mining.

Putting up a brave face, Siddaramaiah said he was not unhappy about the induction of Baig and Shivakumar but had to expand the cabinet. "Their induction will help the party in Lok Sabha elections in the state."

To a query, Siddaramaiah said there was nothing wrong in inducting Shivakumar as he had obtained a stay in all the cases filed against him.

"Shivakumar has got stay in all cases against him. So, what is wrong in inducting him?" he said. "On Baig, there is a just a private complaint against him."

KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar said, "The induction of Shivakumar and Baig was under consideration. The Congress high command has finally taken a decision. They have decided to fill the two slots."