Daijiworld Media Network - Belagavi (SP)

Belagavi, Dec 18: The all-important Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting is being held here on Tuesday December 17. The meeting gains significance in view of discontentment brewing within the party cadres, charges of step-motherly treatment to north Karnataka, JD(S) upper hand in government etc.

Although the CLP was planned to be held a few days earlier, non-availability of former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, who
undertook foreign tour, it could not be convened.

Many Congress legislators say that JD(S) is in the driver's seat in the coalition government although its strength is much smaller as compared to Congress. Another disgruntlement of Congress MLAs is that the chief minister's brother and PWD minister, H D Revanna, has been interfering with the transfer of various other departments. In the CLP, Congress legislators are likely to raise the tightening rip of JD(S) over the administration, its partiality in releasing grants to
constituencies represented by other parties, etc are likely to be raised.

Ministry expansion has been postponed several times in the past. Although the party has said that it will happen on December 22, there is no guarantee that it will be taken up. Some MLAs are asking the leaders to announce now itself that the exercise would be taken up after the Lok Sabha election, if it is unable to expand the ministry now.

It is said that chief minister, Kumaraswamy, was invited to take part in the CLP meeting and he had expressed his readiness to do so. But it is said that he has changed his decision as internal squabble within the Congress is at its zenith now. Some sources say that the CM wanted to give a fitting reply to BJP, which is trying to attract other party MLAs towards it, by participating CLP. However, Kumaraswamy will find it hard to take part in the meeting as he is on a visit to Titupathi and will undertake return journey on Tuesday morning from there. The CLP meeting is scheduled at 9 am.

Siddaramaiah however clarified that Kumaraswamy has not been invited to the meeting.