Cabinet expansion: Motamma's intense lobby may block debutant Geetha's entry!
- Chief Minister plans to re-jig the cabinet after the session
- Siddaramaiah will have tough time to choose this time
- Former minister HY Meti also may be inducted
FollowHectic lobbying is on for the post that has been left vacant after G Parameshwar's resignation and senior leader and former minister Motamma is leading the race for that post, it is said. The chief minister Siddaramaiah is expected to re-jig the cabinet after the Assembly session and three names are being suggested to accommodate into the cabinet.
Motamma, a member of Legislative Council, is camping at New Delhi strongly pitching her case before the party high command, Sonia Gandhi. Motamma, a former minister of women and child welfare and also an influential leader from the Scheduled Tribe community may have her way, if Sonia Gandhi seconds Motamma's candidature.
However, this may upset the chief minister's plan to induct debutant legislator Geetha Mahadevaprasad, who won from Gundlupet in the last by elections, reports Kannada Prabha. Geetha Mahadevaprasad is the wife of former minister Late HS Mahadevaprasad.
Sources said that there are only three seats that could be accommodated during the cabinet expansion and the chief minister plans to have leaders each from Lingayat, scheduled Tribe/Caste and backward classes.
In fact, Chief minister had earlier planned to induct Geetha Mahadevarpasad (Lingayat) and former minister HY Meti - who got a clean chit from CID after the alleged sex scandal - (backward classes leader) and Narendra Swami (from scheduled caste/tribe category).
But with Motamma lobbying hard in New Delhi, Siddaramaiah is now forced to rearrange his plans. He will have to drop Geetha Mahadevaprasad's candidature, if Sonia Gandhi favours Motamma. If that happens, Ashok Pattan of Belagavi and  Siddu Nyamagowda from Bagalkot - prominent Lingayat leaders - are vying for the cabinet berth.
But again, Siddu Nyamagowda and HY Meti belong to the same district and the chief minister cannot afford to have two leaders from the same district in the cabinet. Also, Umashree - who also hails from the same district - is already a minister in Siddaramaiah cabinet. So, if chief minister plans to drop Meti, candidature of HM Revanna (Kuruba) is being recommended. However, it depends on the fate of Motamma's inclusion into the cabinet.
