Disgruntled MLAs to meet on January 5 to chalk out next move
Guttedar, Maalakareddy, Koliwad and Rajanna are those unhappy been left out.
Bangalore: Disgruntled legislators in the Congress party have decided to step up their campaign for one more expansion of the state cabinet which still has three vacancies.
They plan to meet in the city on January 5 and chalk out their future course of action.
Former ministers, Malikayya Guttedar, Dr A.B. Maalakareddy, K.B. Koliwad and MLA K.N. Rajanna are among those who are unhappy that they have been left out.
Guttedar and Koliwad went to the extent of saying that the party would pay a heavy price in the Lok Sabha elections if it failed to honour senior leaders.
The party had already seen the performance of all ministers, said Guttedar.
“The time has come to drop those who can’t walk, talk and those who indulged in corruption. There are serious bribery charges against textile, ports and inland transport minister, Baburao Chinchansoor.
“A senior politician from Gulbarga S.K. Kantha, has levelled allegations against minority welfare minister, Qamar Ul Islam who has been accused of encroaching on government land and selling it. Barring a few like H.K. Patil and T.B. Jayachandra, many ministers face corruption charges. We know that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has good intentions but he cannot provide effective governance with the team he has. He has to drop them and take those who can perform.”
Guttedar revealed that he along with many legislators were planning to join Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) before the assembly elections.
“Senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Oscar Fernandes and Siddaramaiah asked us not to leave saying the party would ensure justice to us. But, nothing happened,” he said.
Another senior MLA who was upset over being left out, told Deccan Chronicle: “See how Shivakumar and Roshan Baig worked to get cabinet berths.
They persistently put pressure on the central leadership who gave in seven and half months after the Congress government was formed.
As a first step, we may meet Digvijaya Singh to put pressure on him to fill the remaining vacancies.”