K'taka Cabinet expansion: Byelections silenced rebel Congress MLAs?

Bengaluru, Nov 15: Bypolls are over. Congress-JDS trounced the BJP in Bellary, Jamkhandi, Mandya and Ramnagar. Congress-JDS victory in Mandya and Ramanagar, not a surprise though, the defeat in Jamakhandi and Bellary has upped the morale of the alliance. Especially, the victory comes back for Congress given recent in-fighting and dissension of MLAs couple of months ago.

Moreover, the triumph over the BJP is likely to give an upper hand to the grand old party during Cabinet expansion in coming days. The party is awaiting a call from the high-command which is busy with assembly elections in three states.

The Congress has 6 vacancies and JDS 2 in the coalition government. Currently, Congress has 22 of the 34 cabinet berths, as well as the post of deputy chief minister. JD(S) has 12 ministerial posts, including that of the chief minister. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has multiple portfolios. The caste wise allocation of portfolios is : Vokkaliga-9, Lingayat-4, SC-4, ST-1, Muslim-2, Kuruba-2, Christian-1, Reddy-1, Ediga-1, OBC-1, Brahmin-1.

Months ago MLAs who were pressurizing party high command for ministerial berths are silent now. The air of rebellion is completely missing in the Congress camp. The humiliating defeat in Bellary Lok Sabha seat and retention of Jamakhandi assembly has silenced Congress rebel candidates.

MB Patil and BC Patil prominent Lingayat MLAs are not found to be giving statements demanding ministerial berths. MB Patil, the man behind the movement for separate region status for Lingayat, was dropped in the first round of cabinet expansion. It is well known that actor-turned-politician BC Patil was lured by the BJP when Yeddyurappa was galvanising numbers to prove majority.

The BJP stopped talking about the future of the coalition after byelections, not long ago the saffron party used to count days for the break-down of the coalition.

While JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and chairman of the coalition Coordination Committee Siddaramaiah have reiterated the promise after the bypoll results were announced, the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh could delay the expansion.