4 more Congress MLAs appointed as heads of boards, corporations

Bengaluru: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday, January 9 appointed four more Congress MLAs as heads of boards and corporations, while withholding two from the list that was recommended by the national party.

The fresh appointments came even as the issue over sharing the posts snowballed into a tug of war between the ruling coalition partners JDS and Congress. However, MLA Abbayya Prasad, whose name did not figure in Congress’ official list, has been appointed as the Chairman of Dr.Babu Jagjeevan Ram LeatherIndustries Development Corporation.

After much delay, out of Congress’ recommendation to 19 boards and corporations, the chief minister had issued orders on Sunday for the appointment of 14, and eight legislators as parliamentary secretaries against the party’s list of nine, a move which did not go down well with several Congress leaders.

According to the coalition arrangement, both parties had decided to fill up posts of chairpersons to 30 boards and corporations, of which 20 will be for the Congress and 10 for the JD(S). Among the appoints cleared by the Chief Minister Wednesday include S N Subbareddy for Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation, N A Haris for Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), and S T Somashekar for Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).

Chairmen for boards and corporations that have been withheld by the Chief Minister despite a recommendation from theCongress leadership are Dr K Sudhakar for the State Pollution Control Board and Venkataramanaiah for the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL).

JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy had earlier clarified that Sudhakar’s appointment was opposed as the Supreme Court guidelines had specified a certain qualification for the post. Congress MLA Venkataramanaiah’s appointment to KRDCLwas said to have been opposed by Gowda’s son and PWD Minister Revanna, stating that it came under his department.

Also, Kumaraswamy has not made any appointments yet to the posts of deputy chairman of the planning commission, special representative in Delhi and political secretary to the chief minister, to which the Congress had suggested names of its legislators.

Several Congress leaders and legislators were miffed with the Chief Minister and had expressed their anger to the state leadership, over his decision on Sunday to put on hold some appointments, despite them being approved by the Congress high command.

Supporters of Congress MLA Sudhakar on Tuesday had even staged a protest at the venue where party meeting was organised, demanding “justice” to their leader. Three of them were later suspended for indiscipline. The Congress recommending some of its legislators as heads to boards and corporations that come under departments controlled by JD(S) ministers, had angered the regional party, leading to Kumaraswamy delaying the appointment.

They were also irked by the Congress’ move to appoint its MLA V Muniyappa as political secretary to the chief minister.

As the issue snowballed, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal on Tuesday said they would sort out all issues amicably.

Venugopal was stated to have spoken to Kumaraswamy on the issue over the phone on Tuesday evening.

JD(S) is yet to appoint its legislators as heads of boards and corporations besides as parliamentary secretaries.

At the JD(S) legislature party meeting last evening, MLAs are said to have pressurised the Chief Minister to complete the process.