Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jun 10: Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is angered at the dissent that has erupted in his party and has termed the attitude of the leaders who are pressing him for 'better' portfolios as 'ungrateful'.

JD(S) leaders G T Devegowda, known as the giant slayer for defeating former CM Siddaramaiah, and C S Puttaraju are reportedly upset for being allotted the higher education portfolio and minor irrigation portfolio respectively.

Gowda had been hoping to get PWD or energy while Puttaraju was keen on the transport portfolio. They reportedly voiced their dissent and demanded Kumaraswamy to give them better portfolios, which angered the CM.

Without naming them, the CM questioned what was wrong with higher education and minor irrigation portfolios. "When one should be concerned about doing good work, why should it bother which portfolio is awarded to them? They should have communicated to the party earlier," he said.

He also criticized the minister’s demands for specific official chambers in the third floor of Vidhana Soudha and government bungalows. "The party's decision is final. The leaders should make do with it," he told the media.

The CM also expressed confidence that the infighting in his party will be resolved in a week’s time.

Pacifying upset Congress MLAs

H D Kumaraswamy also checked on the spiralling dissident activities of the MLAs of ally Congress, who were unhappy with the cabinet expansion, and asked the Congress' central leadership to act immediately to find a solution.

The chief minister and several state Congress leaders met the dissatisfied lawmakers, who, however appeared to be in no mood to relent, at least immediately.

Kumaraswamy met M B Patil, a prominent state Congress leader under whose leadership a section of dissatisfied legislators have been holding meetings. Senior state Congress leaders, including deputy chief minister G Parameshwa, ministers D K Shivakumar, K J George and R V Deshpande, met M B Patil at his residence to mollify him, but reportedly failed to get a positive response.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Patil, the chief minister said though the issue is not directly related to him, he had gone to pacify the lawmakers as the leader of the Congress-JD(S) coalition, for the stability of the government.

"This is an issue that is not related to me, because these are decisions made within Congress party...I have understood his (Patil) feeling of pain that he has worked for Congress party when it needed, but feels let down now," Kumaraswamy,who is the leader of Congress-JD(S) joint legislature party, said.

Kumaraswamy said Patil had told him that he was not alone and would take a decision after consulting other like-minded MLAs, adding, "I have gathered his feelings; I request Delhi leaders (Congress) to immediately act to find a solution."