Cong to create 5 parliamentary secretary posts

Congress leaders in the State have reportedly decided to create five  parliamentary secretary posts to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in view of the increasing number of ministerial aspirants in the party.

According to sources, the parliamentary secretaries will be given the minister of State rank. The plan is to accommodate five legislators belonging to SC, Vokkaliga, Lingayat, minority and backward classes.

Both the chief minister and the State Congress chief have agreed upon this. This will be done after obtaining permission from party president Sonia Gandhi, who is scheduled to meet the State leaders on September 3, sources said.

Over two dozen legislators have been aspiring for ministerial berths in the State. A dozen of them, including Veeranna Mattikatti, A Manju, K B Koliwad and K N Rajanna, are said to have been in Delhi on Monday, ahead of the chief minister-KPCC chief meeting with the Congress president.

Sources said that Siddaramaiah had rejected the demand for revamping his ministry, saying that it was too early to take up the exercise.

The chief minister is learnt to have told party leaders that performance of ministers cannot be judged in the span of one year and three months.

Moreover, a lot of time was spent for the parliamentary elections and two by-elections. Hence, the ministers should be given at least another six months to perform, the chief minister reportedly argued.