Centre avoided me on Guv's appointment: Siddaramaiah

On the eve of the swearing-in of new Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today expressed unhappiness over the Narendra Modi government not consulting him about his appointment to the state.

"... it is customary that the Chief Minister is consulted before appointing the new Governor; they have done this (appointment) without consulting me," he told reporters here.

Seventy six-year-old Vala, a former Gujarat Assembly Speaker who was considered a Modi loyalist, is set to take the oath for the gubernatorial post tomorrow. He will take over from Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah, who holds the additional charge of Karnataka post the retirement of H R Bharadwaj on June 28.

Siddaramaiah said the Centre normally consults the Chief Minister before appointing Governor to any state.

"It is customary; there is nothing that it (appointment) should be made according to us, but consultation is the practice followed."

"Central government has not consulted me on this. I'm sad about it; ...other than this, whoever comes as a Governor we welcome him... now Vajubhai Vala is appointed and we welcome him," he added.

Vala will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court D H Waghela.

In response to a question, Siddaramaiah said, "Whoever comes as a Governor will have to work within the framework of the Constitution; government will also have to work within the framework of the Constitution."

Vala, who has RSS background, had served as Finance Minister in the Modi government in Gujarat with an impressive record of having presented the state budget 18 times.

The tenure of Bhardwaj was largely turbulent when B S Yeddyurappa was the Chief Minister, heading the first ever BJP government in the South and both had come in conflict on several issues.

The situation had, however, eased during the Chief Ministership of D V Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar.