KA-APPOINTMENTS

KarnatakaChief Minister H D

Kumaraswamy Wednesday appointed four moreCongress MLAs as

heads of boards and corporations, whilewithholding two from

the list that was recommended by thenational party.

The fresh appointments came even as the issue over

sharing the posts snowballed intoa tug of war between the

ruling coalition partners -- JDS and Congress.

However, MLA Abbayya Prasad, whose name did not figure

in Congress' official list, has been appointed as the

Chairman of Dr.Babu Jagjeevan Ram LeatherIndustries

Development Corporation.

After much delay, out of Congress' recommendation to 19

boards and corporations, the chief minister had issued orders

on Sunday for appointment of 14, and eight legislators as

parliamentary secretaries against the party's list of nine, a

move which did not go down well with several Congress leaders.

According to the coalition arrangement, both parties had

decided to fill up posts of chairpersons to 30 boards and

corporations, of which 20 will be for the Congress and 10 for

the JD(S).

Among the appoints cleared by the Chief Minister

Wednesday include S N Subbareddy for Karnataka Silk

Industries Corporation, N A Haris for Bangalore Metropolitan

Transport Corporation (BMTC), and S T Somashekar for

Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).

Chairmen for boards and corporations that have been

withheld by the Chief Minister despite recommendation from

theCongress leadership are Dr K Sudhakar for the State

Pollution Control Board, and Venkataramanaiah for the

Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL).

JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy had

earlier clarified that Sudhakar's appointment was opposed as

the Supreme Court guidelines had specified a certain

qualification for the post.

Congress MLA Venkataramanaiah's appointment to KRDCLwas

said to have been opposed by Gowda's son and PWD Minister

Revanna, stating that it came under his department.

Also, Kumaraswamy has not made any appointments yet to

the posts of deputy chairman of the planning commission,

special representative in Delhi and political secretary to

thechief minister, to which the Congress had suggested names

ofits legislators.

Several Congress leaders and legislators were miffed

with the Chief Minister and had expressed their anger to the

state leadership, over his decision on Sunday to put on hold

some appointments, despite them being approved by the

Congress high command.

Supporters of Congress MLA Sudhakar on Tuesday had even

staged a protest at the venue where party meeting was

organised, demanding "justice" to their leader.

Three of them were later suspended for indiscipline.

The Congress recommending some of its legislators as

heads to boards and corporations that come under departments

controlled by JD(S) ministers, had angered the regional

party, leading to Kumaraswamy delaying the appointment.

They were also irked by the Congress' move to appoint

its MLA V Muniyappa as political secretary to the chief

minister.

As the issue snowballed, Congress General Secretary

in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal on Tuesday said they

would sort out all issues amicably.

Venugopal was stated to have spoken to Kumaraswamy on

theissue over phone Tuesday evening.

JD(S) is yet to appoint its legislators as heads of

boards and corporations besides as parliamentary secretaries.

At the JD(S) legislature party meeting last evening,

MLAs are said to have pressurised the Chief Minister to

complete the process.