<p>Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar may visit New Delhi in a week or two for talks with the Congress top brass on finalising four Legislative Council nominees and the much-delayed appointment of party workers to various boards and corporations. </p>.<p>Late on Tuesday night, Shivakumar held talks with Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. Siddaramaiah met them on Wednesday. </p>.<p>Sources said that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been asked to come to the national capital in early June. </p>.<p>Four MLCs positions that were held by C P Yogeshwar, U B Venkatesh, Prakash Rathod and K A Thippeswamy are vacant. These four nominations - done through the Governor - will give the Congress a simple majority in the Legislative Council so that it can pass Bills without hassles. </p>.<p>There is a long list of persons, including a few journalists, who are aspiring to become MLCs. </p>.<p>It has been decided to finalise the four names after discussing them with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, sources said. </p>.<p>According to a senior Congress leader, the party may pick one SC (Right), one woman, one Vokkaliga (to replace Yogeshwara who belonged to the same community) and one OBC. </p>.<p>Among the SC (Right) options, the names of Dalit activist D G Sagar, actor Madan Patel and journalist K Shivakumar are doing the rounds. </p>.<p>MLCs nominated by the Governor are usually persons who have excelled in or contributed to various fields. The party is mindful that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot may reject names if they are purely political, a senior MLC said. </p>.<p>Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are also expected to finalise the appointment of Congress workers as members or directors in boards and corporations during their New Delhi visit. While there are calls for a Cabinet reshuffle, there is no clarity if this would figure in the discussions. </p>.<p><strong>Cong MLCs to file plaint against Chalavadi, Ravikumar</strong></p><p>Congress MLCs are likely to lodge a complaint with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Legislative Council chairperson Basavaraj Horatti against Leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and BJP member N Ravikumar for their recent controversial comments. </p><p>This was decided at a meeting Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala held with 15 party MLCs. Apparently, the MLCs were pulled up for not speaking out against Narayanaswamy and Ravikumar. It is also said that some MLCs complained against ministers for their lack of cooperation, especially during Legislative Council sessions. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar may visit New Delhi in a week or two for talks with the Congress top brass on finalising four Legislative Council nominees and the much-delayed appointment of party workers to various boards and corporations. </p>.<p>Late on Tuesday night, Shivakumar held talks with Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. Siddaramaiah met them on Wednesday. </p>.<p>Sources said that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been asked to come to the national capital in early June. </p>.<p>Four MLCs positions that were held by C P Yogeshwar, U B Venkatesh, Prakash Rathod and K A Thippeswamy are vacant. These four nominations - done through the Governor - will give the Congress a simple majority in the Legislative Council so that it can pass Bills without hassles. </p>.<p>There is a long list of persons, including a few journalists, who are aspiring to become MLCs. </p>.<p>It has been decided to finalise the four names after discussing them with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, sources said. </p>.<p>According to a senior Congress leader, the party may pick one SC (Right), one woman, one Vokkaliga (to replace Yogeshwara who belonged to the same community) and one OBC. </p>.<p>Among the SC (Right) options, the names of Dalit activist D G Sagar, actor Madan Patel and journalist K Shivakumar are doing the rounds. </p>.<p>MLCs nominated by the Governor are usually persons who have excelled in or contributed to various fields. The party is mindful that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot may reject names if they are purely political, a senior MLC said. </p>.<p>Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are also expected to finalise the appointment of Congress workers as members or directors in boards and corporations during their New Delhi visit. While there are calls for a Cabinet reshuffle, there is no clarity if this would figure in the discussions. </p>.<p><strong>Cong MLCs to file plaint against Chalavadi, Ravikumar</strong></p><p>Congress MLCs are likely to lodge a complaint with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Legislative Council chairperson Basavaraj Horatti against Leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and BJP member N Ravikumar for their recent controversial comments. </p><p>This was decided at a meeting Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala held with 15 party MLCs. Apparently, the MLCs were pulled up for not speaking out against Narayanaswamy and Ravikumar. It is also said that some MLCs complained against ministers for their lack of cooperation, especially during Legislative Council sessions. </p>
