Congress forms panels headed by ministers for bypolls

The Congress has decided to deploy eight ministers in committees formed to oversee four upcoming bye-elections, which includes vacancies created in Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s Channapatna and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s Shiggaon constituencies. 

The committee overseeing the Channapatna bypoll is headed by Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy along with Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s brother DK Suresh is also an observer in this 9-member committee.

Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre will head the 6-member Shiggaon committee that also has Textiles Minister Shivanand Patil and Labour Minister Santosh Lad. 

The 7-member committee for the Sandur bypoll, necessitated due to the election of incumbent MLA E Tukaram as the Bellary MP, will be headed by Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan. 

One bypoll to elect an MLC from the Dakshina Kannada-Udupi Local Bodies’ seat is due after the incumbent Kota Srinivas Poojar’s election as the Dakshina Kannada MP. The Congress’ committee for this is headed by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao with Women & Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar and eight others.