31 First-Time MLAs Demand Ministerial Berths In Cabinet Reshuffle

BENGALURU: First-time Congress MLAs demand share in cabinet and mount pressure on the Central leaders in a letter signed by as many as 31 as the State Government is nearing 3 years in power. Among 136 Congress MLAs, 38 of them are first-timers and 31 have signed a letter to demand ministerial berths for at least 5 of them in the cabinet reshuffle.

While staking claim for ministerial berths, first-time MLAs stated in facing the 2028 Assembly elections, it is important to face the people by projecting youths. There should be a combination of youths and experience to retain power.

The letter demanding ministerial berths for first-time MLAs has been leaked at a time when Karnataka party incharge and general secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Randeep Singh Surjewala visit to Bengaluru.

The signatories include- Pradeep Eshwar, A.S. Ponnanna, Darshan Dhruvanarayan, P. Ravikumar, A.C. Srinivas among others which has been addressed to Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

One of the signatories demanding ministerial berths is Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain and he told reporters “It is equally important to undertake a change of guard as well as cabinet reshuffle.”

On the need for a cabinet reshuffle, Hussain said at Legislature Party meetings, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been apprised over some ministers not responding to their pleas. Eve, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) D.K. Shivakumar over the non-challant attitude of some of the ministers.

“The demand for cabinet reshuffle has been going for about 6-months,” he said and termed the performance of some of the ministers as “unsatisfactory.”

A couple of months back Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated the party high command had directed him to initiate steps to hold cabinet reshuffle.