Karnataka: Cabinet berth for Ibrahim? Not all Congmen happy

Bengaluru: The much-awaited cabinet expansion planned by CM Siddaramaiah, has hit a road block with a section of Congress leaders reportedly opposing the induction of former union minister, C.M. Ibrahim. 

Another section is opposed to the induction of Congress MLC H.M. Revanna on the ground that his relative recently made it to the coveted National women social welfare board as its chairperson.

Meanwhile, the list of aspirants is growing by the day with even former excise minister H.Y. Meti trying to stage a comeback to salvage his ‘ruined reputation’ due to his alleged involvement in a sex scandal.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader observed that the expansion had become complicated compared to the previous ones. “This is the last opportunity for Congressmen to make it to the cabinet ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls, therefore, aspirants are making all out efforts to boost their prospects which has created problems. A section in the party has advised the Chief Minister not to carry out the exercise ahead of the elections and trigger dissent while another section insists that having reached this stage, it’s time to cross the bridge come what may. The CM has been receptive to opinion from all camps in the party but no one, not even those considered close to him, are willing to hazard a guess on what may finally happen,” the source explained. 

Explaining the opposition to Mr Ibrahim’s entry into the cabinet, a source said that a section of the Congress leaders in Delhi are reportedly averse to his induction because of the accusations he had made against former PM late Indira Gandhi, when he was with the Janata parivar. Mr Ibrahim is likely to be elected to the Council in the August 31 poll.