Karnataka power tussle: More than 30 first-time Congress MLAs write to high command seeking Cabinet berths

'The people of Karnataka sent out a clear message that they want to see new young faces in the legislature', the letter read.

Bengaluru: At least thirty first-time Congress legislators have written to the party high command requesting to induct them in the Cabinet during the proposed reshuffle.

The copy of the letter accessed by DH, which has been signed by the MLAs, has been addressed to Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge and copied to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar and AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala (AICC General Secretary-In charge Karnataka).

In the letter, the MLAs have requested the party's high command to include the first-time members of the Legislative Assembly in the Cabinet during the proposed reshuffle of the ministry in the Karnataka state government.

"As you're aware, the people of Karnataka have elected 38 members to Legislative Assembly from the Indian National Congress for the first time and thereby sent out a clear message that they want to see new young faces in the legislature and that's also an aspiration of the people of the people of Karnataka," reads the letter.

Highlighting that no newly elected member has been accommodated in the Cabinet, they said, "At the time of the formation of the Cabinet, no first-time MLA was provided an opportunity to be part of the 34-member Cabinet in Karnataka. It's necessary that young, dynamic and pro-active first-time MLAs are provided an opportunity to serve as ministers in the Cabinet."

MLAs including AS Ponnanna, Ashok Rai, Srinivas N T, P Ravikumar, A C Srinivas, HA Iqubal Hussain, B Devendra, Nara Bharath Reddy, Vishwas V Vaidya, Basavaraj V Shivaganga have signed the letter.