Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)
Bengaluru, Oct 1: The state cabinet extension is facing one or the other obstacle and there is a possibility that the ministerial berth aspirants will be disappointed again as there is a high likelihood of postponement of the cabinet extension if the bye-elections are announced for the legislative assembly constituencies of Ramanagara and Jamkhandi. In such a situation, the cabinet extension will take place only after the bye-elections are over.
State Congress leaders have already said that the cabinet will be extended after October 10. The ministerial position aspirants are already lobbying on the basis of caste and region. As there are more aspirants for the position of ministers, the Congress high command has drafted a strategy to conduct the cabinet extension as well as the nomination of presidents for boards of various corporations.
HD Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah
There is a possibility that the election commission may announce a notification in the first week of October for the said bye-elections. In such a case if the cabinet is extended, there is a suspicion that the aspirants who will not be included in the cabinet extension may work against the interest of the concerned party and may cause the defeat of the party candidates. That is why the cabinet extension exercise may be postponed again.
These bye-elections are extremely important for JD (S) and Congress, coalition partners in the present ruling government with respect to the numbers. So the preliminary discussion of sharing of one constituency each has already taken place. However, it is learnt that some people in Congress are unhappy over the alliance with JD (S). Some leaders of Congress are of the opinion that in the constituency of Jamkhandi even if the JD (S) fields its own candidate without an alliance with the Congress, it will not affect the performance of the Congress candidate.
Already two meetings have taken place with regards to the selection of Congress candidate for the constituency of Jamkhandi. In all probability, Anand Nyamagowda should get the nod from high command. In Ramanagara, however, it is learnt that Congress is showing interest in getting into alliance with JD (S).