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Rahul Gandhi’s protest outside PM home ‘delays’ Karnataka Cabinet expansion
The swearing-in of new ministers in Karnataka, scheduled for Wednesday, has been called off.
D K Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah were in Delhi on Tuesday for a meeting with Rahul Gandhi to finalise the list of new ministers. (File Photo)
A protest by Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence on Tuesday has delayed the finalisation of names for a planned expansion of Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s Cabinet, sources said.
The swearing-in of new ministers, scheduled for Wednesday, has thus been called off, even though the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms had written to the Public Works Department to make arrangements for the event at Lok Bhavan.
Leaders including Shivakumar, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, and state Congress president B K Hariprasad travelled to Delhi on Tuesday for a meeting with Gandhi to finalise the list of new ministers.
“The meeting might be held tomorrow, depending on how long Gandhi continues his sit-in,” a source told indianexpress.com.
Sources said the Congress high command rejected an earlier list, which was discussed during their meeting last week in Delhi, and asked for more young faces.
10 fresh faces and 10 seniors
Shivakumar was sworn in along with 13 other ministers on June 3, leaving 20 berths vacant. The government is keen on inducting new ministers into the Cabinet as the legislature’s monsoon session is scheduled for the first week of August.
There are speculations that the state Congress leadership has opted to induct 10 fresh faces and seniors each.
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A decision on the Legislative Assembly speaker is also awaited, with leaders like former minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and senior legislator B R Patil considered favourites for the post.
Gandhi and other Congress national leaders protested outside Modi’s residence demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a discussion on the NEET question paper leak in Parliament, and an inquiry into Monday’s police action against protesters in Delhi.
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