Bengaluru: If internal discussions in the Congress are any indication, ‘rebels’ in the party have little choice but wait till end of September to secure a berth in the cabinet.
Sources in Congress, privy to the rebellion brewing among ministers who are disillusioned with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s style of functioning, felt they might have threatened to quit the party in order to mount pressure on the party’s central leadership. "There are two types of rebels. A few ministers like Ramesh Jarkiholi who are genuinely upset with Mr Kumaraswamy, but are confused whether to rock the boat or still
accept status quo. The others are MLAs keen to enter the cabinet. Their rebellion may not be serious in nature," explained a leader. Meanwhile, the Siddaramaiah camp seems to be hoping that in all probability, the cabinet expansion takes place in the last week of September. "The primary reason why it cannot happen earlier is because the co-ordination committee chairperson, Siddaramaiah, will be out of the country till September 15 and only after his return, the committee has to meet before an expansion of the cabinet during the last week of September," sources added.
Congress leaders feel that it might not happen. "Mr Kumaraswamy knows that completing a cabinet expansion will usher in fresh round of rebellion within the Congress giving him lot more trouble. He may try to get it postponed citing one reason or the other," they added. In case, the expansion does not take place within a month, party president Rahul Gandhi would get busy with elections in four states and thereafter, the party would be busy in drawing up strategies for next year’s Lok Sabha polls, sources added.
