Digvijay Singh stems the dissent for now

Bangalore: Congress general secretary, Digvijay Singh successfully convinced a group of disgruntled party MLAs who are demanding cabinet berths, not to create any trouble for the Siddara­maiah government.

While the legislators led by Malikayya Venkayya Gutt­e­dar and K.B. Koliwad,  claimed that there would be another round of expansion before the Lok Sabha polls on which they were pinning their hopes, there was no confirmation from Singh on this assurance.

On New Year’s day, Congress heavyweights D.K. Shivakumar and Roshan Baig were inducted in the cabinet triggering a flurry of demands for berths. Sources said Singh did some tough talking during one-on-one meetings and told the MLAs not to do anything to upset the party's prospects in their Assembly constituencies with parliament polls round the corner. The party knows ‘when to reward and whom to reward", he told the MLAs who seem to have made a climbdown for now.

Earlier, the Congress leader told reporters that no expansion had happened without hurting the interests of some legislators. "It has happened in the past and now too. It is not a new thing in the Congress. I will explain to them and tell them what the party wants from them," he said.

He defended the inclusion of  Shivakumar and Ros­han Baig and hit back at the BJP saying its double speak on corruption had been exposed with the reinduction of ‘tainted’ former chief minister B.S. Yeddy­urappa. “Congress does not have to learn lessons from them,” he said. 

Next: Diggy promise, dissent over?

Diggy promise, dissent over?'

Bangalore: How did Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh manage to placate the disgruntled legislators who had gone public while venting their anger over being left out of the cabinet?

Emerging from the one-on-one meeting, former ministers, K.B. Koliwad, Dr A. B. Malaka Reddy and Malikayya V. Guttedar on Sunday claimed that Singh had assured them that he would recommend their names for the remaining cabinet slots.

Speaking to reporters, they said “ Singh heard us patiently and  assured that there was possibility of another round of cabinet  expansion before the Lok Sabha polls. So, we are hopeful that we will get into cabinet sooner or later.”

The leaders asserted that they asked him to rectify the regional  imbalance in the cabinet as many leaders from North Karanataka region  had been left out. “Singh assured us that the regional imbalance in the cabinet will also be raised at an appropriate forum in the party, till then he  asked us to be hopeful of getting the post,” the leaders explained.  

Before the crucial meeting with Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, over a dozen disgruntled Congress legislators met in Afzalpur legislator Malikayya Venkayya Gutt­edar’s room at the Legislators’ Home near Vidhana Soudha on Sunday, where they decided to visit Singh in groups to con­vey their dissatisfaction ov­er the party not considering the­ir  services and long standing association with the Co­ngress.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Guttedar said, “We are all senior leaders. We have been winning the Ass­embly seats for four or five ter­ms. Moreover, we have been associated with the party for a long time.

But still the party has not considered us. I had rai­sed my voice over being left out even when Chief Minster, Sid­daramaiah carried out his first cabinet expansion soon after he was sworn in. Even this time, I will keep raising my voice till am inducted into the cabinet.”

He also declared that if the party neglects them, there were chances that disgruntled legislators might ‘neglect’ the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, which might eventually hurt the party’s prospects.
Another senior leader, K.B. Koliwad added that the party cannot afford to overlook the contributions of senior leaders like them and said he would keep demanding a cabinet berth.

Speaking to rep­orters on the sidelines of the one-on-one meeting with disgru­ntled legislators,  Dig­vijay Sin­gh remarked that no expansion in the Congress party had happened without hur­ting some legislators.

“It has happened in the past and now too. This is not a new thing for the Congress. We know how to tackle disgruntled leaders. I have come here to hear their cases individually. I will ex­plain to them the situation and tell them what the party wants from them,” he explained.