Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday said a list of legislators and party leaders to be appointed as heads of the government-owned boards and corporations will be ready after another round of meeting with party central leaders.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Shivakumar, who is also KPCC president, said, “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and I are going to Telangana for election campaigning. A final list will be sent to the high command after another round of meeting with central leaders who are visiting the State on November 28”.
Asked if Home Minister G. Parameshwara was unhappy about the process of appointments for boards and corporations, he said, “The Home Minister has been on a tour for the last three days. There is no resentment. The media is reading too much into this. The appointments for boards and corporations are for the party members who have worked hard for the party. There is nothing like my candidate, his candidate or someone else’s candidate. Discussions are on to accommodate many senior MLAs who have not been represented in the Ministry.”
Brushing aside the allegation of the BJP that the Congress had been delaying the appointments for boards and corporations by demanding money from aspirants, he retorted, “We are in the process of appointing for boards and corporations within a few months of coming to power. When did the BJP make these appointments? They could not even fill four or five Cabinet positions which were vacant till the end”.
Mr. Siddaramaiah too said the list of candidates to be appointed had not been finalised.
AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala held an hourlong meeting on Tuesday with Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar on these appointments.
