It’s no secret that there are differences within the Congress in Karnataka. But it’s the common man who has been forced to bear the brunt of angry supporters protesting across the state.
The much awaited Karnataka cabinet reshuffle scheduled to took place on Sunday evening is reported to show the door to around 14 “poor-performing and controversy ridden” ministers and usher new entrants in.
However, trouble started brewing in parts of Karnataka even before chief minister Siddaramaiah could announce the final list in the cabinet reshuffle.
Mandya, Koppal, Kalaburagi, Mysore, Chikballapur and Bengaluru districts have been witnessing protests.
On Sunday, supporters of disgruntled Congress leaders laid siege to the metro station in Vijayanagara, causing the Bengaluru metro to get delayed by few minutes. Vijayanagar MLA M. Krishnappa’s supporters blocked road protesting over reports of denial of cabinet berth.
Chikballapura MLA Shivshankar Reddy's supporters pelted stones on buses and called for a bandh over his non-inclusion in the list.
Supporters of Ambareesh protested in Mandya district after rumours about his removal spread.
At Kalaburgi a bike was set on fire in front of the Congress office by people who were protesting against removal of Qamarul Islam. They reportedly vandalised the office too.
In Nanjangud taluk, supporters of Srinivas Prasad blocked national highway 212 leading to Kerala and Tamil Nadu after news about his removal spread.
Sources say that only 12 legislators would be inducted and 2 positions would be kept vacant to meet exigencies.
This would be the first major cabinet rejig in the Karnataka government since 2013. Siddaramaiah in October 2015 expanded his cabinet by filling 4 more positions. However, this reshuffled would decide the prospects of the Congress winning in the 2018 assembly elections.
Sources in the government said that while CM is getting rid of the ministers, who have been a part of controversies, many the ministers with money-power are being retained.