Karnataka Assembly: Two Christian leaders eye KJ George's berth

Mangaluru: Now that Mr K J George has quit as minister, supporters of  Mangaluru City South MLA, J R Lobo, are hoping he will be offered a cabinet berth in his place.

Mr Lobo had hoped to become minister in 2013 when the Congress came to power in Karnataka, but failed to get a berth even in the recent cabinet reshuffle.

But with Mr  George resigning from the cabinet, his supporters believe he stands a good chance as the Christian community needs representation in the government.

“George and Lobo are the only two Christian MLAs in the assembly . After the former's  exit, the only choice is J R Lobo. The Congress cannot afford to  neglect the minorities,” said a senior Congress leader, pointing out that Mr Lobo had worked for the development of Mangaluru city and was otherwise also qualified to be a minister. 

“He is the best option for the Congress. But if somebody wants to scuttle his chances, he may be denied a berth this time too,” he added.

Although MLC, Ivan D’Souza is also a Christian, party insiders  feel  he is not really in the running for a  ministerial position in the government.“Ivan is a nominated member of the Council and was also given the post of Chief Whip recently. So its unlikely he will be made minister,” said a Congress leader.

But sources say Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may not induct anybody in a hurry in place of Mr George. “He may wait for a month or two and then decide. However, if he decides to takes somebody from the same community then Lobo has a good chance,” they added. It's believed that  Mr Lobo's relations with senior Congress leader, Oscar Fernandes too could bolster his chances.