Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Nov 18: Under immense pressure from legislators hankering for ministerial berths,, both Congress and JD (S) have decided to take a final call on the exercise next week. Currently there ae eight vacancies in the state ministry, six from Congress and two from JD(S).

During the last five and half months since the coalition government assumed office, ministry expansion has been postponed five times. Particularly the legislators from Congress are losing patience over the behaviour of the leaders who have been putting off the expansion for lame reasons. Several of them have given a clear warning that they cannot no longer remain mute spectators to this drama.

The leadership is compelled to affect the ministry expansion now. The leadership was hoping to complete appointments to boards and corporations first so that the number of would be reduced, making it easier to pick ministerial candidates from among the remaining people. Now, with no other alternative, the leadership held a round of meeting with state in-charge of party affairs, K C Venugopal, on the issue on Friday. It is said that during the discussions, issues like who among the legislators might turn angry at the leadership and how will BJP react to it, how can the angry leaders be calmed down etc cropped up.

The Congress is aware that if it stays away from expanding the ministry, it will give a wrong signal to the government and affect its prospects in the coming Lok Sabha election. At the same time, it cannot risk earning the ire of some of the leaders as BJP is eagerly waiting to lure some of them to form government on its own. It was decided to hold discussions with JD(S) leaders and fix a date for ministry expansion by month end. Before that, a coordination meeting would be convened to hold certain discussions. It is said that leaders of both the parties have already reached an understanding on issues to be discussed there. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, said that ministry expansion will take place during the end of this month.

During the telephonic discussions KPCC president, Diensh Gundu Rao, had with Deve Gowda, both the leaders agreed that the ministry expansion should be affected as a low key affair without too much of a controversy. Although the JD(S) has not given its final nod for ministry expansion so far officially, as soon as it is received, Congress leaders will meet at New Delhi to discuss with party high command and decide on names of people to be sworn in as ministers, it is said.