HD Kumaraswamy makes last-minute changes to woo disgruntled legislators

BENGALURU:  Barely hours before presenting the budget, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday made last-minute changes to ensure the support of at least one section of disgruntled MLAs. 
Kumaraswamy made appointments to two boards and one parliamentary secretary posts late on Thursday. Umesh Jadhav, one of the rebel Congress MLAs who has refused to even respond to notices issued to him, was dropped from the post of Warehouse Corporation chairman, indicating that the legislator may not return to support the coalition after all. 

Maski MLA Pratap Gouda Patil and Raichur Rural MLA Basanagoud Daddal have been appointed as Chairman of Warehouse Corporation and Chief of Maharishi Valmiki ST Welfare Board respectively. Congress MLC from Hassan MA Gopalaswamy, who the Congress hoped to make the Parliamentary Secretary to the CM, has been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar. 

All three legislators were disgruntled over not being given cabinet-rank positions. Kumaraswamy has managed to woo the trio with fresh appointments even as he dropped MLA Umesh Jadhav.