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Madikeri, Jul. 13: The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is likely to reshuffle the cabinet in October or November this year.
It is almost certain that 8 to 12 ministers will be given a berth. Congress state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala has already submitted a report on the performance of the ministers to the Congress high command.
This time, Kodagu is said to be assured of a ministerial berth during the cabinet reshuffle. A.S. Ponnanna, MLA from Virajpet assembly constituency and legal advisor to the Chief Minister, is likely to get the ministerial berth.
The demand for a Congress MLA from Kodagu district to be given a ministerial berth has been heard since the days when the Congress MLAs won in Kodagu. Although Madikeri MLA Dr. Mantar Gowda is not a strong aspirant for the ministerial berth, he is in the mood to handle it if given a berth. But Virajpet assembly constituency MLA A.S. Ponnanna is expecting a ministerial berth.
A.S. Ponnanna is influential in the state government!
Speaking at a program of the Bangalore Kodava Samaj held in Bengaluru last month, CM Siddaramaiah had said that A.K. Subbaiah was a firebrand, Ponnanna has all the qualities to become a firebrand, we have to wait and see whether he will become a firebrand.
A.S. Ponnanna has emerged as an influential MLA in the state in a short period of time. He has his own influence in the government and close connections with all the ministers.
He especially has a good relationship with CM Siddaramaiah and DCM D.K. Shivakumar. Ponnanna has also developed contacts at the Congress high command level.
It was expected that Kodagi would get a ministerial berth when the Congress government is formed in May 2023. But CM Siddaramaiah himself tweeted that those who won as MLAs in Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts were not given ministerial berths because they were first-time MLAs.
A.S. Ponnanna, who missed out on the ministerial berth, was given the rank of legal advisor to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Generally, there is a sense of resentment towards Kodagu in any government. Because there was a feeling in all the previous governments that the government is not in any danger due to just two MLAs. Among the MLAs from influential districts, governments have rarely given credit to the words of MLAs from Kodagu since 2004.
Despite the non-partisan clamor for ministerial berths for K.G. Bopaiah and Appachu Ranjan, who were MLAs from Kodagu in the previous B.S. Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai governments, the MLAs from Kodagu were not given ministerial berths. Now, two MLAs from Kodagu are influential MLAs at the government level.
In the S.M. Krishna government from 1999-2004, there were three ministers from Kodagu. Then in 2012, in the Jagadish Shettar government, the then Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan took over the position of Minister in-charge of Kodagu as the Minister of Youth Empowerment and Sports for a handful of months.
Now, after 13 years, it is almost certain that a Kodagu MLA will take over the position of Minister in the state government. There is a possibility that Kodagu will be given first priority this time during the cabinet reshuffle.
There are calculations that the Congress government will give the position of Minister in-charge of Kodagu to Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna along with the position of Minister.
Revenue or Forest Minister, Cauvery will be the lucky one for his homeland!
Strong discussions are currently going on in the Karnataka Congress for the September and October revolution. But the cabinet reshuffle will take place as a guarantee in November. Otherwise, more MLAs will be dissatisfied in the Congress. The Congress high command, which is unhappy with the performance of 8 to 12 ministers, is likely to induct new faces during the cabinet reshuffle. There are also discussions about changing the portfolios of some ministers. If A.S. Ponnanna is given a ministerial position, it is likely that he will be given a powerful portfolio.
Since H.K. Patil is working efficiently as the Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs, it is doubtful that his portfolio will be changed. There are discussions in the political corridors that A.S. Ponnanna can be given the revenue and forest portfolios if he becomes a minister.
On the other hand, there are discussions that A.S. Ponnanna will not be able to get the people of his constituency if he becomes a minister. On the one hand, there is an argument that the post of legal advisor is good for A.S. Ponnanna for this one term, but there are also discussions that if A.S. Ponnanna wins next time and the Congress government does not get a majority in the state, the ministerial position is just a dream, etc. If the cabinet is re-formed, it is guaranteed that one of the MLAs from Kodagu will take up a ministerial post in the Congress government. But if the politics of MLAs from powerful districts and powerful castes continue to play out loudly in the Congress beyond Kodagu, then a ministerial post for Kodagu will remain just a dream. It remains to be seen whether A.S. Ponnanna, who has turned 51, will get the chance to become a minister in his 51st year.
Note:This article is translated by xklsv.com, from shakthidaily.info; the Shakthi Daily is not liable for any errors in translation. If there are any errors in spellings, please mail [email protected]
