With the so-called “inauspicious” month of Ashada set to end on August 12, nearly a dozen Congress legislators have rushed to the national capital to lobby for Cabinet berths. The Congress is expected to fill its renaming quota of six Cabinet berths and the Janata Dal (Secular) one after August 12. As per the agreement between the two parties, the Congress has 22 of the total 34 Cabinet berths.
Some of the prominent Congress MLAs staying put in Delhi included Roshan Baig, M.B. Patil, Rahim Khan, B. Nagendra, Pratapgouda Patil, G.S. Shivalli, R.B. Thimmapura, Mahantesh, Bheem Naik. A few legislators led by Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi are also camping in Delhi and met AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal.
Uncertainty
However, there is some uncertainty in the Congress camp, particularly over how berths would be divided between leaders of north and south Karnataka. Sources in the party said that at least three to four Cabinet berths would to be given to north Karnataka MLAs. Senior leaders such as M.B. Patil, Ramalinga Reddy, H.K. Patil, Tanveer Sait, and Roshan Baig are lobbying hard to become Minister in the Kumaraswamy government. A few former legislators are also camping in Delhi seeking their appointment to government-owned boards and corporations.
The Congress is likely to induct a couple of Lingayat legislators, and one each from Kuruba, minorities and Scheduled Castes (Left) to fill the six vacancies.