Now, Congress MLAs seek replacement of some district in-charge Ministers

Congress legislators seek replacement of district in-charge Ministers due to loyalty division between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, impacting party's development.

After Ministers loyal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought the appointment of a full-time KPCC president, a section of Congress legislators have been seeking replacement of district in-charge Ministers citing various reasons, including their “lack of commitment” in the development of the district.

Party sources say that division of loyalty among the legislators between Mr. Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar appears to be a key reason for this demand in Davangere, Kolar, Kalaburagi, Tumakuru, Belagavi, and a few other districts.

In Davangere, Basavaraj Shivaganga, MLA for Channagiri, has submitted a request to the Chief Minister for the removal of Mines and Geology Minister S.S. Mallikarjun from district in-charge responsibilities. The Minister’s “political adjustment” with the BJP has embarrassed the rank and file in the party, he has said. Mr. Shivaganga, who has displayed his loyalty to the KPCC chief more than once, claimed that during the election for the director’s post of the District Cooperative Central Bank, the Minister declined to support the Congress candidate. Despite being in power, the Congress was not able to get the post and the BJP gained a upper hand.

Two prominent MLAs — K.V. Nanje Gowda (Malur) and S.N. Narayanaswamy (Bangarpet) — have been seeking the replacement of Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh as the district in-charge Minister of Kolar. The legislators’ major complaint is that the Minister has not been attending the district-level meetings and is “not visible” in the district. Mr. Suresh, who was busy handling the alleged MUDA scam involving the Chief Minister and his wife, was largely concentrated in Bengaluru.

In Kalaburagi, senior legislator B.R. Patil (Alanad) has quit the post of political secretary to the Chief Minister following alleged differences with Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge. Mr. Patil claimed that most of the requests of senior MLAs had been rejected.

S.R. Srinivas, Gubbi MLA, has expressed his disappointment over the functioning of Home Minister G. Parameshwara, who is also Tumakuru district in-charge Minister, and Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna. The MLA’s main grouse is the denial of the top post in Tumakuru Milk Union Ltd. (Tumul) to his wife K.P. Bharatidevi. Mr. Srinivas, who is loyal to Mr. Shivakumar, quit the JD(S) and joined the Congress on the eve of the 2023 Assembly elections. He openly hit out at the two Ministers. Dr. Parameshwara and Mr. Rajanna managed to get Pavagada MLA H.V. Venkatesh, from the Scheduled Caste community, elected as Tumul president.

In Belagavi district, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s relations seem to have soured with Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar and MLA for Athani Laxman Savadi. The differences between Mr. Jarkiholi and Mr. Savadi have apparently widened after the latter failed to secure a lead for party candidate Priyanka Jarkiholi in the 2024 Lok Sabha election in the Athani Assembly segment. Ms. Priyanka Jarkiholi, daughter of Mr. Jarkiholi, was elected to Parliament from the Chikkodi constituency.