Speculations over induction of U.T. Khader, Manjunath Bhandary into the Cabinet rife

With the Congress not able to make inroads in undivided Dakshina Kannada in the Assembly elections, speculations are rife that its two senior leaders – five-time MLA from Mangaluru U.T. Khader and MLC Manjunath Bhandary – may be inducted into the Cabinet to revitalise the party before next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

With the Congress not able to make inroads in undivided Dakshina Kannada in the Assembly elections, speculations are rife that its two senior leaders – five-time MLA from Mangaluru U.T. Khader and MLC Manjunath Bhandary – may be inducted into the Cabinet to revitalise the party before next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Sources in the Congress said that the party MLC and president of Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee K. Harish Kumar is unlikely to be accommodated in the Cabinet due to the seniority of former Rajya Sabha member and now MLC B. K. Hariprasad. Both of them are from Billava community. In addition, Mr. Kumar’s turn will expire in a year.

Mr. Bhandary represents local authorities’ constituency of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the Legislative Council. Mr. Khader was Minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government and the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy. He has handled the portfolios of Health, Urban Development, Food and Civil Supplies and Housing.

The ‘coastal focus’ will become important for the party if it wants to wrest Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha seats from the BJP.

Of the total 19 Assembly seats in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts, the Congress has six leaving 13 to the BJP. With the BJP sweeping the polls in Udupi district for the second consecutive time by winning all five seats, the Congress continues to have no representation in the Assembly from Udupi. Its candidate from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada Ashok Kumar Rai is a novice. The party has four seats in Uttara Kannada of which former Minister R. V. Deshpande (Haliyal) is the seniormost who stands the chance of getting inducted into the Cabinet again. Mankal Vaidya (Bhatkal) and Satish Sail (Karwar) are the other seniors in Uttara Kannada.

It is yet to be seen whether the party will implement a separate charter for the development of coastal Karnataka as announced before the Assembly elections.

The charter includes reconstituting the Coastal Development Authority as a statutory body with an annual budgetary allocation of ₹2,500 crore to create employment and investment opportunities, promoting Mangaluru as the next hub of the IT and garment industries, and the creation of the ‘Narayana Guru Development Board’ with an annual outlay of ₹250 crore for rehabilitating those involved in preparing liquor and shendi (a drink extracted from the sap of the eechalu palm tree). Similarly, the Bunts Development Board with an annual outlay of ₹250 crore has been promised. Every fisheries worker from the Mogaveera community has been assured of ₹10 lakh insurance cover, while ₹1 lakh interest-free loan has been assured for fisherwomen.