JD(S) plays familiar politics, Deve Gowda’s relative to head Karnataka pollution board
KS Rangappa, the relative of former Prime Minister and JD(S) national president HD Deve Gowda, will be made KSPCB chairman, the post that was denied to the Congress MLA K Sudhakar.
FollowBengaluru: After denying the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) post to the Congress leader K Sudhakar, the JD(S) is contemplating to give the same position to a relative of party national president and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
KS Rangappa, former Mysuru University vice chancellor and relative of Deve Gowda is likely to be made the chairman shortly.
When Newsable contacted Rangappa, he said he will do justice to whichever post the JD(S) offers him.
"I don’t have any knowledge about such offers and I do not chase any positions or any leader. In case I get any position, I will do justice to it," said Rangappa.
Deve Gowda’s granddaughter is married to Rangappa’s son.
The Congress reacted saying that after dragging its feet in giving the post to boards and corporations in the state, where JD(S) did not agree to its recommendations of five legislators, Sudhakar (Chikkaballapur), ST Somashekhar (Yeshwantpur), NA Harris (Shanthinagar), T Venkataramanaiah (Doddaballapur) and Subba Reddy (Bagepalli) initially, agreed to accommodate four and left out Sudhakar's name as the JD(S) may be planning to strengthen its Bengaluru North vote base ahead of the general elections.
"Earlier, the JD(S) did not agree to give the BDA chairman post to Somashekhar. They may have realised that his supporters may not back the JD(S) in this segment. Giving Sudhakar a post may not yield any results, hence they agreed to make Somashekhar the BDA chairman and to impress Bengaluru voters and also the Vokkaligas, the JD(S) may be planning to make Rangappa the KSPCB chairman," said, Kengal Renu, the Congress spokesperson.
The BJP criticised the JD(S) saying that when the post was earlier referred to the Congress leader Sudhakar, it denied saying the rules do not permit as Sudhakar’s qualification will not be applicable but if the same post is reserved to the JD(S) leaders particularly the family members of the party, then they will break all the rules.
"A competitive person should head such a position," said the BJP corporator Padmanabha Reddy, who is also the opposition leader in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
