Cabinet reshuffle after evaluating 2-year performance of Siddaramaiah govt

AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Digvijay Singh on Sunday said reshuffle of the State Cabinet will be done after evaluating two years’ performance of the Siddaramaiah government.

Addressing reporters after completing three-day consultative meetings on strengthening the party, he said the party will take up mid course appraisal of the government after it completes two years. “The Cabinet reshuffle will be done as part of the mid course appraisal exercise. But it is the right of the chief minister to reshuffle his Cabinet and he will do it...AICC has nothing to do with it,” he stated.

He, however, did not reveal whether the chief minister’s performance will also be evaluated.
The Congress government will complete two years in May 2015. The party has been under pressure from senior MLAs to give them an opportunity to serve as ministers. Many party legislators had been insisting that non-performing ministers should be removed and those who are eligible and eager to perform should be inducted. Many aggrieved legislators reportedly complained to Singh on the non-performance of some ministers during the consultative meetings.

Singh further said mid course appraisal will also help the party in chalking out a strategy to counter communal forces and prepare itself to face the next Assembly elections in the State.

Intensive touring
District in-charge ministers have been directed to conduct intensive touring and make themselves available to the legislators, he added.

He said the Congress coordination committee which met on Saturday has asked the chief minister to look into the demands of giving forest rights to tribals, especially land rights. A Cabinet sub-committee has been already set up to look into the demands.

The panel also decided to take up mass contact programme from April 1 to educate people about achievements of the government.