Karnataka: Senior MLCs ignored for ministerial spots, sparks loyalty debate in Congress

BENGALURU : Chief minister Siddaramaiah’s decision not to include a member of the legislative council in his team of ministers has not only triggered a debate on constitutional norms being violated but has also raised concerns over loyalists being sidelined in Congress.
The exclusion of the likes of BK Hariprasad, Congress floor leader in the upper house, Prakash Rathod, chief whip, and Saleem Ahmed, senior MLC, has raised eyebrows.Ahmed is the only one of four KPCC working presidents who has been denied a ministerial berth.
Rules mandate that a member of the legislative council be made a minister so that s/he can represent the chief minister in the council and function as the leader of the Upper House. As leader of the opposition in the council during the BJP regime, Hariprasad was seen as a natural choice for the council quota in the cabinet.
“The state adopted a twochamber system of legislature, comprising assembly and council,” said BL Shankar, KPCC vice-president who is also a former chairman of the legislative council. “While authorities, including the chief minister, are expected to respect the system, it is unfortunate that the council has been ignored. ”
However, sources say someseniors, including Siddaramaiah, were not in favour of inducting a member of the Upper House in the cabinet and even proposed to amend the rule so that the CM can nominate a minister from the legislative assembly as leader of the council. Incidentally, in 2004, chief minister N Dharam Singh had nominated Mallikarjun Kharge to represent him in the council but that was before rules were changed in 2005.
The development has enraged many Congress functionaries and they are planning to write to the AICC president to vent their anger. It also suggests brewing dissidence. Hariprasad is seenas a Shivakumar supporter and has been candid in suggesting the state Congress president got a raw deal in the new government.
“Congress won because of a major shift in Vokkaliga votes,” Hariprasad said. “Vokkaligas supported us because they thought Shivakumar, as KPCC president, would become CM. But he has been made DCM. ”
To circumvent discontent and questions over flouting of rules, the Congress leadershipinducted senior functionary NS Boseraju into the cabinet. Boseraju is not an elected member, but the party is likely to make him an MLC before the next session of the legislature and ask him to function as leader of the council.
“Boseraju’s induction may avert questions on law but heartburn will remain,” said VS Ugrappa, former leader of opposition in the council. “I hope the leadership course corrects and gives due representation to MLCs. ”