Roots of crisis in December cabinet rejig: Karnataka Deputy CM, Dr G Parameshwar

Bengaluru: A day after two independent MLAs withdrew support to the ruling coalition, Deputy CM, Dr G. Parameshwar on Wednesday dropped enough hints that the present political turmoil was a direct result of the "December cabinet expansion".

By making this statement, Dr Paramehwar though not taking any names, has again brought former chief minister, Siddaramaiah to centre stage as the December cabinet expansion, was executed only at the behest of Mr Siddaramaiah who succeeded in getting the maximum number of his supporters into the cabinet.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, the DCM observed that whenever there is an expansion, some people aspiring for ministerial posts express their feelings in different ways when they don't get the opportunity. "But after some time they will also understand that everybody cannot become minister. We also try to accommodate them in different ways," he contended and added in the same breath that the BJP saw an opportunity in the disgruntled MLAs to topple the government.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader said, "The idea of carrying out cabinet expansion was to douse the growing discontent in the party but now it looks like that move itself went against us. In this context Dr Parameshwar may have made this statement."

The source added that even when appointments were made to boards, corporations and parliamentary secretary posts, it went against the interests of the disgruntled MLAs.

"Appointments of Anjali Nimbalkar, Lakshmi Hebbalkar and K. Govindraju are a case in point. Both women are first time MLAs whereas other women were ignored.”

Dr Parameshwar also lashed out at the BJP and alleged that the party has a bigger plan behind its moves to topple the coalition government as it wants to show that any grand alliance against it at the centre will meet the same fate.