JD (S) MLAs to fly to Pune for a jaunt

Ahead of the scheduled cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is taking his flock of JD (S) MLAs by a chartered flight for a two-day jaunt to a resort in Pune on January 5 and 6.

Though Kumaraswamy admitted that the meeting of JD (S) MLAs at a resort in Pune away from Bangalore would discuss “politics”, he refused to buy the argument that the exercise was aimed at preventing dissidence raising its ugly head in the party after the expansion of the coalition ministry.

A large number of JD (S) MLAs are aspiring for ministerial berths and the party leadership is understood to be concerned about the Opposition Congress making efforts to lure more legislators, much to the detriment of the Kumaraswamy-led JD (S)-BJP coalition’s stability.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who quit the JD (S) and joined the Congress, has already predicted a split in the JD (S) Legislature Party and claimed that several party MLAs are in touch with him.

According to JD (S) sources, Kumaraswamy will be discussing the Cabinet reshuffle and convincing aspirants and other Ministers, who are likely to be dropped during the exercise. He is also expected to assure prominent posts to party MLAs, who had been denied Cabinet berths.

The Chief Minister, who is scheduled to hold one-to-one meetings with the legislators, is also expected to discuss the appointments to the posts of chairpersons to various state-run Boards and Corporations.

Political observers said the exercise is clearly aimed at quelling the dissatisfaction in a section of the party MLAs, who are unhappy over the delay in Cabinet expansion and the appointments to Boards and Corporations.