Siddaramaiah wooing disgruntled MLAs with board, ZP chiefs' posts

Bengaluru: With the murmurs of dissent against his leadership growing louder, the much awaited Cabinet reshuffle and the pending appointments to state-run boards and corporations have come in handy for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to dangle the carrot before disgruntled legislators and win them over.

An opportunity to work out the reservation matrix for top posts in the zilla panchayats too has helped the CM to keep party legislators in good stead.

This is all the more crucial at a time when many legislators have been secretly complaining that he still harbours a soft corner for the Janata pariwar and its leaders. 

To wipe out this image, Mr Siddaramaiah had asked district ministers during the last legislature party meeting to give their preferences for reserving the president and vice president posts in various ZPs and TPs.

Based on the inputs given by Congress legislators and ministers, he got the Rural development and panchayat department to work out the reservation matrix, said sources.

“Neither did he oblige JD(S) leader H.D. Revanna, nor was he sympathetic to BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa, a fellow Kuruba. He has ensured that the opposition, especially JD(S) stands no chance of winning top ZP posts in districts where there is a fractured verdict.

This will once and for all, end the criticism that he is pro-Janata Parivar.” The CM knows he has to get as many ministers possible on his side should there be a serious challenge to is leadership. So he has decided to take the risk of antagonising party workers to accommodate supporters of legislators and ministers in boards and corporations.

As many as 788 directors were appointed to 110 boards/ corporations on Thursday. A Congress leader said Mr Siddaramaiah’s effort to accommodate supporters of ministers and legislators may pay quick dividends but in the long run, it may antagonise genuine workers,who may feel neglected.