Karnataka Cabinet Rejig Shivakumar Dinesh Gundu Rao Congress Mlas
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Indian ExpressVerified Publisher
Ministers Priyank Kharge and Ajay Singh accompanied Shivakumar. Rao, who was Siddaramaiah’s health minister, was dropped from the Cabinet Shivakumar formed after taking over as the chief minister. He, along with several seniors such as M Krishnappa and H K Patil, have expressed reservations after they did not feature in the list of ministers released by the Congress leadership. Speaking to reporters, Rao refused to comment on the loss of the Cabinet berth. “We are all loyal to the party,” he said, adding that his meeting with the chief minister
Ministers Priyank Kharge and Ajay Singh accompanied Shivakumar.
Rao, who was Siddaramaiah’s health minister, was dropped from the Cabinet Shivakumar formed after taking over as the chief minister. He, along with several seniors such as M Krishnappa and H K Patil, have expressed reservations after they did not feature in the list of ministers released by the Congress leadership.
Speaking to reporters, Rao refused to comment on the loss of the Cabinet berth. “We are all loyal to the party,” he said, adding that his meeting with the chief minister was cordial.
Speculations have intensified that the Cabinet may still induct some disgruntled legislators by replacing those who have already taken the oath as ministers. However, clarity is expected only after Shivakumar meets the party’s national leadership. He flew to Delhi on Sunday evening for the meeting, anticipating clearance for the list of portfolios for the new ministers, ahead of the monsoon session of the legislature starting on August 13.
Disgruntlement among Congress legislators came out soon after the new ministers took the oath. Yashvanthrayagouda Patil and Belur Gopalkrishna, who had threatened to resign as MLAs, were eventually persuaded to withdraw their decision.
The Congress leadership also dispatched Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary in charge of the state, to Bengaluru last week to meet senior legislators who were unhappy. While some are learnt to have softened their stance, Krishnappa, whose son Priyakrishna is also an MLA, is learnt to have held his ground over the Cabinet berth.