By P.T. Bopanna
If one goes by the expansion of D.K. Shivakumar-led Congress ministry in Karnataka, it becomes evident that only blackmailing works and merit has no place.
Lingayat strongman late Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s son S.S. Mallikarjun’s name was not in the list of ministers to be sworn-in on August 3. The first list circulated during the day had the name of Mankal Vaidya.
According to reports, Mallikarjun, whose wife is an MP and son an MLA, is reported to have threatened the high command that the entire family will quit Congress.
A rattled Congress high command, directed Shivakumar to accommodate Mallikarjun at the last moment.
There were other changes in the list of ministers to be sworn-in. Strangely, though many Siddaramaiah loyalist were included in the ministry, the former chief minister who was ousted in a ‘palace coup’ engineered by the Gandhi family (mother and daughter), stayed away from the swearing-in ceremony.
Though people of Kodagu (Coorg) in Karnataka were confident that Virajpet MLA A.S Ponnanna (in picture) would find a berth in the Cabinet, they were disappointed. Ponnanna was given a ‘consolation prize’ by appointing him as deputy speaker of Assembly, an ornamental post.
Having covered Karnataka politics for decades, I had my doubts on Ponnanna landing a place in the Cabinet.
A place in the ministry is normally decided on the basis of caste equations. The tiny district of Kodagu has no relevance in Karnataka politics and nobody takes the district seriously.
Since Ponnanna was associated closely with Siddaramaiah, DK was in no mood to accommodate Ponnanna. Ponnanna, son of firebrand leader A.K. Subbaiah, has to be appreciated for showing his loyalty to Siddaramaiah, who brought him into politics. Unlike Shivakumar, who is known for his money and muscle power, Siddaramaiah is committed to pro-poor ideology.
Voters should punish Congress for denying cabinet berth to Ponnanna, who broke the saffron fortress in Kodagu. Ponnanna’s track record has been immaculate. Congress will regret its action in denying Cabinet berth to Ponnanna.
