Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said here on Thursday that the Cabinet expansion will take place after the Assembly session to be held from June 5 to 16.
He told mediapersons in the city that said he will decide on inducting the new Ministers and their portfolios but it would be premature to announce their names at this juncture. There are three vacant ministerial berths and they would be filled only after the Assembly session and the issue need not be discussed before the media, he felt.
Referring to the resignation of G. Parameshwara as Home Minister, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the former had not discussed the issue with him but would act as per the behest of the party high command which wants him to focus on party work ahead of the elections next year.
Mr. Siddaramaiah refuted suggestions that there was disappointment among a few leaders including D.K. Shivakumar who was being made chairman of the campaign committee though he was suspected to be lobbying for the KPCC chief’s post. “There is no dismay or disappointment among any Congress leader and it is all a media creation. Even the post of chairman of the campaign committee is important and hence there is no truth in the reports that Mr. Shivakumar’s followers are disappointed.”
In reply to a question, the Chief Minister said the Congress will fight the next elections in 2018 in Karnataka under his leadership. But it was for the Legislative Party to decide as to who would be the Chief Ministerial candidate and cannot be speculated now. He also justified the appointment of former Minister S.R. Patil as the KPCC working president to look after the party affairs in north Karnataka while the incumbent working president Dinesh Gundu Rao would look after the party affairs in south Karnataka. “In an election year it will be difficult for one working president to tour the entire State and hence the appointments are justified.”
Referring to former MP Ramya who heads the Congress social media cell, Mr. Siddaramaiah said she would be consulted on important issues in the run-up to the elections.
