‘Cabinet expansion delay has brought admin to halt’

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah targeted Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday, over the delay in the Cabinet expansion, which he said had brought administration to a “standstill.”

In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah mocked at Yediyurappa for not showing the same sense of “urgency” in expanding his Cabinet as he did to become the chief minister.

“Due to drought and floods, the people of the state are in despair. The administrative machinery has come to a standstill. Is this democracy or autocracy?” Siddaramaiah said.

“There are no minsters for revenue, agriculture and rural development departments to respond to drought and floods,” he said, accusing Yediyurappa of giving priority to transferring officials over Cabinet expansion.

The former chief minister also criticised Governor Vajubhai R Vala. “Isn’t the Governor, who sent message after message during the confidence motion, seeing how people are suffering due to the one-man Cabinet,” he asked.

Siddaramaiah’s attack comes a day after Yediyurappa defended the “delay” in the Cabinet expansion. The chief minister is scheduled to hold talks with the BJP central leadership early next week to finalise the formation of the council of ministers.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao said Yediyurappa’s Cabinet expansion was nowhere in sight. “It looks like this autocratic regime will continue for many more days,” he said in a tweet.