This story is from December 6, 2018

CM HD Kumaraswamy to get full cabinet a day after Belagavi session ends

CM HD Kumaraswamy to get full cabinet a day after Belagavi session ends
BENGALURU: Ending months of uncertainty, coalition partners the Congress and the JD(S) decided to expand the six-month-old HD Kumaraswamy cabinet on December 22, a day after the winter session in Belagavi ends. Of the eight vacant berths, Congress has six to fill.
The coordination committee, headed by former chief minister Siddaramaiah, met on Wednesday and fixed the date for the long pending exercise.
“After much deliberation, we decided to expand the cabinet on December 22,” Siddaramaiah said. Explaining why the date had been moved from December 9, he said, “Since the Belagavi session starts from December 10, expanding the cabinet a day before the session would have put a huge burden on new ministers. So we decided to have it after the session. All eight berths will be filled in one go.”
JD(S) national general secretary Danish Ali, also the convener of the committee, said the date was fixed in consultation with AICC president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda.
At the meeting, the first of the committee in three months, members also decided to appoint chairmen to 30 state-run boards and corporations and nine parliamentary secretaries on the same day. As per the power sharing agreement between the allies, the Congress will get twothirds of the posts, while the JD(S) will take the rest.
“Of the 30 boards and corporation, the Congress nominees will head 20 and the JD(S) nominees 10. Similarly, of the nine parliamentary secretaries’ posts, six will go to Congress and three to JD(S),” Siddaramaiah said, adding a majority of these posts will be given to MLAs.
This means 47 MLAs of the ruling coalition will be accommodated in the government. Leaders of both parties believe the move will end dissent and foil the BJP’s efforts to destablise the coalition.

Prior to the coordination committee meeting, senior Congress leaders along with AICC general secretary KC Venugopal met at the KPCC office and expressed concer n over the ‘big brother’ attitude of JD(S) leaders. They also expressed concern over the tardy progress in implementation of budgetary programmes.
BIGWIGS TALK: AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, CM HD Kumaraswamy and DyCM G Parameshwara at the meeting on Wednesday
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