Daijiworld Media Network - Belagavi (SP)

Belagavi, Dec 14: Leaders of the coalition government in the state have begun an exercise towards working out the modalities of ministry expansion scheduled for December 22. It is said that they have now drafted a simple formula to please all the aspirants, which would be placed before the Congress high command for approval on December 21.

The formula the Congress leaders now bank on is to allot the remaining six vacant slots to candidates from Lingayat, Vokkaliga, backward classes, minority, Dalit (Yedagai) community, and Valmiki community, at the rate of one ministry each.

The leadership also plans to appoint ten parliamentary secretaries. Six of them will be picked from Congress, and three from JD(S). A senior Congress MLA is planned to be appointed the political secretary to the chief minister.

Along with ministry expansion, 30 legislators are planned to be appointed as chairpersons to corporations and boards. Out of this, 20 will be drawn from the Congress and ten from JD(S). The leaders hope to douse the discontentment brewing among the leaders by following this formula.

At the same time, the Congress leaders have decided not to show the door to any of the current ministers at present. Some sources, in the meanwhile, said that the party high command wants the ministry expansion to be withheld till the Lok Sabha election.

Former chief minister, Siddaramaiah,cut short his visit to Malaysia and arrived here on Thursday morning. Several ministers and legislators talked to him over phone. He would be taking part in the winter session here from Monday. He will also be present at the legislature party meeting on December 18. On Friday or Saturday, he is expected to leave for New Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi, along with Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president and deputy chief minister.