Chikkamagaluru: In what could come as a disappointment to many Congress leaders lobbying for ministerial posts, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday ruled out a cabinet expansion in the near future.
Speaking to reporters in Kadur taluk , where he had arrived to participate in the death anniversary ceremony of former MLA, Krishnamurthy, he said no cabinet expansion was on the cards as of now when asked about the vacant ministerial positions.
Many Congress leaders lobbying for ministerial posts had hoped that the Cabinet expansion would be discussed with AICC vice-president, Rahul who was expected to arrive in Raichur for a Youth Congress event this month. But with the postponement of the event, he has put off his visit.
Meanwhile, referring to protests by Mandya farmers over release of water to Tamil Nadu from the Krishna Raja Sagar dam when they had no water for irrigation, the Chief Minister explained that Karnataka had released 12 tmc ft of water to the neighbouring state from KRS in accordance with the distress formula evolved for sharing of the water of the River Cauvery.
He said a meeting would be held on Wednesday with elected representatives of the district to explain to them the need to release water to Tamil Nadu.
Referring to the poor rainfall this year too, he said the government would resort to cloud seeding later this month if it did not rain over the next few weeks. Mr Siddaramaiah did not think taking a delegation to the Union Government would help as nothing had come of the many visits on the Mahadayi issue. On BJP national president, Amit Shah's visit to the state, he said, "Shall I ask him not to visit? Let him visit any mutts or mandirs, We have nothing do with it."
