Siddu, Parameshwara to meet Sonia today over Council nominations

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president G Parameshwara are scheduled to meet the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Monday to finalise names for nominating members to the Legislative Council and appointing heads to various boards and corporations.

Sources in the state party said the leaders have prepared a list of probable candidates for the nomination. There are three vacancies to be filled under the nomination category in the Upper House of the legislature, while the ruling party can nominate heads to about 72 boards and corporations of the government.

KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao will also accompany the leaders in their Delhi visit. The leaders are scheduled to hold a meeting with AICC general secretary incharge of Karnataka Digvijaya Singh before meeting Sonia Gandhi. The leaders will also meet Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, the sources added.

Names of noted writers Baraguru Ramachandrappa and K Marulasiddappa, C M Lingappa, G C Chandrashekar and K P Nanjundi, are making the rounds for nomination to Upper House of the Legislature.

The ruling party can nominate members who have served in the field of art and culture, literature, education and social service to the Council.

Sources said Siddaramaiah is likely to recommend names of a dozen party MLAs for the nomination to boards and corporations.

The move is aimed at pacifying the legislators who are unhappy with the party for not making them ministers. But a section of leaders in the state Congress, including Parameshwara, is against the move.

They are arguing that loyal party workers should be rewarded by making them heads of boards and corporations.

This apart, the leaders are likely to discuss on the byelection to the Nanjangud Assembly constituency following resignation of V Srinivas Prasad as Congress MLA recently.

The chief minister is learnt to be keen on fielding Minister for Public Works Department H C Mahadevappa’s son Sunil Bose as the party candidate in the bypoll, the sources added.