Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 27: As Congress leadership has said that ministry expansion would be made after the inauspicious period of Pitr Paksha passes, aspirants have begun intense lobbying.

Congress can fill six vacancies in the ministry now. Therefore, caste, regional permutations and combinations are being worked out and people are trying to get a place in the ministry by hook or crook. There are demands from Lingayat, Kuruba, Muslim, scheduled tribes and some other sections for ministerial berths.

Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy

Coalition coordination committee chairman, Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister, Dr G Parameshwar, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and minister, D K Shivakumar, are interested in bringing their own men into the ministry.

There is tussle for seats among Lingayat leaders, Shyamanur Shivashankarappa, M B Patil, and B C Patil. There are rumours that B C Patil and B K Sangamesh were retained in the party by promising to make them ministers, as they were targeted by BJP in its 'Operation Lotus'. Amaregouda Bayyapur, Kushtagi, MLA, is another person who is hopeful of making it to the ministry.

Among Kuruba community legislators, C S Shivalli from Kundagol constituency, and M T B Nagaraj are in the forefront. From Lambani community, P T Parameshwar Naik and Bheema Naik have thrown in their gauntlet. If demands of Jarkiholi brothers are to be met, the least the government can do is to induct B Nagendra from Ballari district as a minister.

For six vacant seats, there are over 15 aspirants. The ministry expansion, which was repeatedly put off for various reasons, has posed a huge challenge for the party leadership as the leaders do not want to invite ire of strong contenders. Therefore some expect ministry expansion to be postponed once again. For problems of similar nature, Congress has not been able to nominate chairpersons to various boards and corporations so far.