Ministerial aspirants raise voice in JDS too

Ministerial aspirants raise voice in JDS too
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Bengaluru: With cabinet expansion on the cards, ministerial aspirants are springing up in the JD(S) too, with a senior party MLA expressing his desire to work in Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition cabinet.

JD(S) MLA from Malavalli K Annadani expressed his desire to become a minister, but said, he would abide by the party leadership's decision.

"If given (opportunity), I will be happy. I will abideby the decision of our party leaders. I have a wish since longto work in his (Kumaraswamy) cabinet.

I want to work as thevoice of Dalits and backward classes in the state..," Annadanisaid.

Speaking to reporters here, he said "our leaders- Deve Gowdaji (JDS patriarch) and Kumaranna (Kumaraswamy)- if they ask me take the responsibility, I'm ready to take upand manage it."

To a question, Annadani said, "Discussions are on about how to do it (cabinet expansion) and when, but who has to be (inducted) has not come up for discussion.

Our top leaders Deve Gowda and Kumaranna will decide it- who has to be made (minister)."

Amid speculation about cabinet rejig in Karnataka to defuse the crisis in the ruling combine, Congress-JD(S)coalition coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah Wednesday said it would be a cabinet expansion tofill in vacant posts.

JD(S)' coalition partner Congress is under pressure with growing number of ministerial aspirants.

Following the rout in the Lok Sabha polls and dissidence within, the Congress and JD(S) leaders have been holding discussions on whether to go in for cabinet expansion byfilling three vacant posts or reshuffle in a bid to save the government from possible onslaught by the BJP to topple it.

Of the total 34 ministerial positions in Karnataka,the Congress and JD(S) have shared 22 and 12 respectively according to the coalition arrangement.

Currently, three postsare vacant, two from JD(S) and one from Congress.