As many Congress legislators have expressed concern over non-implementation of development works in their constituencies, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Thursday at a private hotel in Bengaluru to hear their grievances.
During the recently concluded Budget session of the State legislature, many party MLAs and MLCs had complained that they had not been able to get their work done in their constituencies owing to alleged non-cooperation of Ministers. MLAs have reportedly complained about stoppage of many ongoing works related to roads, community and school buildings, bridges, drinking water schemes, housing, and release of small amounts of funds for mitigating shortage of drinking water.
Sources in the party said AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and Leader of the House in the Legislative Council N.S. Boseraju would participate in the meeting to listen to grievances of legislators on the functioning of the government, particularly Ministers and party office-bearers.
Most of the senior MLCs apparently are dissatisfied over missing out on ministerial berths. During the run-up to the campaign, Mr. Shivakumar had told MLCs to work for the party’s success and promised to provide ministerial berths to 3-4 of them. Induction of Mr. Boseraju, who was not a member of either of the legislature Houses, into the Cabinet has not gone well with the senior members of the Council. This was a major reason for senior leader and MLC B.K. Hariprasad’s outburst against Mr. Siddaramaiah that he also knew “how to bring down a Chief Minister‘‘ and his role in “making” five Chief Ministers in the country.
Though loyalists of the Chief Minister countered Mr. Hariprasad’s remarks, sources said AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal has spoken to Mr. Hariprasad and suggested to him to refrain from making controversial remarks against the government.
A party functionary said the meeting has been called to ensure better coordination between the government and the party ahead of elections to the Parliament. Mr. Kharge and other senior leaders are expected to ask Ministers and legislators to refrain from speaking on controversial issues.
MLAs will demand constitution of task forces for identifying beneficiaries under various government schemes, and monitoring development works are also expected to figure during the CLP meeting, sources said.
The meeting would also discuss appointments of legislators as heads of various government-owned boards and corporations, a leader said.
