State Cong calls for more representation in cabinet

Welcoming the induction of S M Krishna and M Veerappa Moily into the Union Cabinet, Karnataka unit of Congress today asked party high command to give more representation to the state in the next round of expansion.

“We thank AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for inducting S M Krishna and M Veerappa Moily into the ministry,” KPCC president R V Deshpande told PTI here.

The state is getting cabinet rank berths after a long time, he said. However, a few more senior leaders like former chief minister N Dharam Singh, M Mallikarjun Kharge and Oscar Fernandes, needed to be taken into the ministry to ensure good representation to Karnataka, which is currently under BJP rule, he said.

Deshpande also pitched in for the induction of Rahul Gandhi into the cabinet, saying, “Several leaders of the party, workers and intellectuals of the state opine that Rahul must join the ministry to strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister.”

In the previous UPA government, Karnataka had three ministers — K H Muniyappa, Oscar Fernandes and M V Rajashekharan. Though Congress inducted cine star-turned-politician Ambareesh, who lost the election from Mandya this time, as a minister of state, he did not assume office and resigned on Cauvery water sharing issue.