Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 10: "The ministerial aspirants should not get disturbed by rumours about further postponement of ministry expansion. The expansion will happen as already announced, on December 22," said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao. He also said that he and his party colleagues have no hesitation in attending the winter session of the assembly, as they are confident of facing any development happening there.

He was speaking to media persons after taking part in a programme organized at the Congress office on Queens Road here on Sunday, December 9 for setting in motion a debate for students titled 'Behatar Bharat' organized by his party.

Reacting to   questions on doubts expressed by some of the legislators from his own party about the ministry expansion happening on December 22, he said that the chief minister, deputy chief minister,   leader of the parliamentary party and national president of the party have already decided on expansion of the ministry. "Legislature party meeting of the party will be undertaken on December 18, and there need not be any doubt about the ministry expansion happening on December 22.  Participation in assembly session and ministry expansion are two separate issues," he claimed.

Dinesh said that his party has a battery of able leaders to ably counter the opposition at the Belagavi session. "We are buoyed by the tremendous success of party candidates in the bypoll. We are also confident of winning in all five states where assembly elections were held. Therefore, we are going to the session with positive mindset and jubilant mood," he said.

On a question about Siddaramaiah leaving on foreign tour because of corruption charge on the previous government, he said that the former chief minister's visit was fixed ten days back and that he will come back after December 17 to take part in the remaining session. He sought to lampoon BJP leader C T Ravi by commenting that Ravi must have lost his intelligence in alleging that Congress was involved with corruption. "Does he not know that the public accounts committee, of which R Ashok of BJP is the chairman, gets all the reports?" he questioned.

On the issue of election of chairman to the council, he said that those who get nominated will get elected as chairman and that there is no confusion on this election. Congress is eyeing this post on the basis of their membership in the council, while JD(S) wants it as it says it has given the post of assembly speaker to Congress.