The appointment of Jaimala, MLC, as Minister for Kannada and Culture has not gone down well with some senior members of the Upper House of the State legislature. Ms. Jaimala happens to be the lone woman Minister in the Cabinet.
Citing her “inexperience” and arguing that she will not be able to defend the coalition government from the BJP’s onslaught during the legislature session, over a dozen Congress members of the Upper House are set to submit a petition to the party central leadership, seeking Cabinet berths to senior and experienced members of the House.
Signed by 20 MLCs
A senior MLC of the Congress told The Hindu that about 20 MLCs had signed a petition against actor-turned-politician Ms. Jaimala, who was nominated to the Legislative Council by the Siddaramaiah government in June 2014, being made Minister.
Meanwhile, Ms. Jaimala has hit back at such leaders, saying that nobody can question her integrity and that she hopes that “good sense will prevail” on those who are opposing her appointment.
“There have been no instances when Ms. Jaimala has criticised the Opposition BJP during the last four years,” one of the leaders argued, in defence of their opposition. He said there were several other senior leaders who could give a “fitting reply to the Opposition BJP.”
Expressing disappointment over denial of more Cabinet berths to MLCs, the leader said several members of the Rajya Sabha had been made Union Ministers. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Congress leader said. Sources said senior MLCs are unable to digest Ms. Jaimala’s induction and they want MLCs such as S.R. Patil, H.M. Revanna, and V.S. Ugrappa to be made Ministers.
Ms. Jaimala told The Hindu , “My focus is on providing good administration to the people of the State. The party has identified my leadership qualities and appointed me as Minister ... May God give them (MLCs) good sense and all happiness. But they cannot question my integrity,” she said.
‘Bring more women’
The Minister said she was not against inducting any seniors from the party into the Cabinet. “Let more women legislators be inducted into the Cabinet,” she said. Ms Jaimala’s term as MLC ends on June 23, 2020.
