Congress leader rejects allegations of ineffective coalition government in Karnataka

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader G Parameshwara Saturday rejected a senior party colleague's remarks that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government was yet to 'take off' and said it has functioned effectively in the last six months. He was responding to comments by senior Congress MLA Satish Jarkiholi that the government was yet to "take off".

"There is no need for us to react to personal opinions. Our government has functioned effectively in the last six months," Parameshwara told reporters here.

The deputy chief minister said that if any Congress legislators had any problem or no work had taken place in their constituencies, they could always bring it to the notice of the chief minister, himself or the Congress state president.

Echoing the demand for cabinet expansion and concerns about developmental works expressed by several Congress MLAs, Jarkiholi on Friday had said that the government was yet to 'take off.' The MLA had said there was a demand for cabinet expansion at the earliest, but it was getting postponed due to unavoidable reasons.

"If it happens before the winter session (December 10-21), it will be good. Also like any government, there are people who say work is not happening. We wish things get better in the days to come. Immediately no government will take off, it will need time," he had said.

There is a growing clamour from MLAs, especially from the Congress, for the expansion of the Congress-JD(S) coalition cabinet at the earliest.

On cabinet expansion, Parameshwara said the high command had been informed of it and to ensure that the expansion is done before the start of the session "If they permit, it is half an hour's work. They will have to give permission."

There are now six vacant ministerial positions left for the Congress and two for the JD(S). Currently, Kumaraswamy heads a cabinet of 26 ministers. Meanwhile, media reports said that over a dozen Congress MLAs planned to skip the coming winter session at Belagavi to mount pressure for the cabinet expansion to take place and in protest against the functioning of the government.

Parameshwara said no legislator had informed him that they would not be attending the winter session. "If someone has informed the party president, I am not aware of it. No one has informed me that they will not be coming," Parameshwara said in response to a question on the media reports.