Rahul Gandhi for fresh faces in ministry, to finalise list today

The Congress is likely to finalise the names of its legislators on Tuesday to be inducted into the council of ministers headed by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

“Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who will be returning from the US tour on Monday night, will hold meeting with state leaders only on Tuesday and finalise the list,” party sources said.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao arrived in the national capital on Monday night. Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president G Parameshwara is expected to arrive on Tuesday early morning.

AICC general secretary incharge of Karnataka, K C Venugopal, has already held a meeting with state leaders last week and has readied the list. He will be holding meeting with state leaders again on Tuesday morning. Following which all the leaders will meet Rahul for final approval, sources said.

Out of 21 ministerial berths, the Congress is likely to fill 17 or 18 while remaining will kept vacant to quell dissidence.

“This time the party is keen on making maximum number of young legislators as ministers because Rahul plans to groom young leadership in the state,” sources said.

However, to maintain balance in the Cabinet, some section of leaders in the party is also learnt to have suggested to induct some seniors to maintain balance.

“The party will take caste and region consideration into account while making ministers as it is hoping to win maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections,” said a senior leader of the party.

A large number of Congress leaders are already in the national capital to lobby for ministerial berths. Former ministers H K Patil, R V Deshpande and R Roshan Baig are lobbying to induct seniors while young leaders such as Raghvendra Hitnal, Rajashekhar Patil Humnabad, Bhima Naik and E Thukaram are meeting the party leaders to induct fresh faces.

Separately, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala, who was here to attend Governors’ conference, will be leaving for Bengaluru on Tuesday evening as Cabinet expansion ís scheduled on Wednesday afternoon.