Ruling Congress in Karnataka to finalise key appointments next week

CHENNAI: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said the ruling Congress will finalise appointments to various state-run boards and corporations after one more round of discussions next week, and the list will then be sent to the party high command for approval.

Congress General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala has been discussing the exercise with the state leadership in the city since Tuesday.

''Today also he (Surjewala) has held discussions. Some of us leaders are also talking to him. We have sought the opinion of some senior leaders and legislators. He is coming back again on November 28. Meanwhile, Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) and I will be going to Telangana for election campaigning,'' Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said Surjewala will come back to the city on November 28 after election campaigning, after which the list will be finalised and sent to Delhi.

Siddaramaiah on Tuesday indicated that appointments to various statutory boards and corporations will be made in phases, with sitting MLAs and MLCs expected to be rewarded first, followed by workers and former legislators.

Rubbishing rumours that Home Minister G Parameshwara is upset regarding the non-inclusion of some of his supporters to probable list of boards and corporation appointees, Shivakumar called it ''unnecessary speculation'' and said: ''All are one in the party, and everyone is a Congress supporter, those who could not get Minister post, their names are being considered based on seniority.'' ''He (Parameshwara) is Home Minister, he was on a tour and had some work, why should he be upset? What is there to get upset about? Why are such unnecessary things being created?'' he asked.

Hitting back at BJP over its allegation that Congress, which came to power six months ago, delayed appointments to boards and Corporations posts in order to ''auction'' them, and discussions were now on regarding the collection amount, Shivakumar said, ''Why did they (BJP) not do it (appointments), while in power? We are at least appointing now, when did they do? Unnecessarily they are commenting. They could not even fill up four Ministers posts and had kept them vacant.''

The BJP in a post on 'X' alleged, ''Siddaramaiah government that systematically manages the transfer business (cash for postings) over phone, was waiting so far to auction boards and corporations posts. Surjewala has now come and is holding discussions on the process of auctioning the posts, which was postponed earlier, as dealings could not happen properly.'' ''As a result, the amount for the posts of Boards and Corporations has again come for up discussion,'' the principal opposition party in the State claimed.

There has been some disgruntlement and growing impatience within the Congress party, with legislators, who could not make it to the Ministry and were keenly aspiring for key boards and corporations, unhappy about the delay in appointments.

Also many partymen are upset over the delay in rewarding loyal workers, despite it being six months since the Congress came to power in the state.

Shivakumar had recently said that both Congress legislators and party workers would be appointed to these positions and indicated that about 15 to 20 party MLAs and MLCs who were keen to hold the posts would be accommodated, and the rest would be distributed among loyal party workers.

Appointments to boards and corporations are said to be among the issues on which Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had certain differences of opinion, according to party sources.