Siddaramaiah meets MLAs to quell discontent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday held separated meetings with MLAs at the Vidhana Soudha here on Monday after disgruntled legislators wrote to him alleging negligence and no response from cabinet ministers.

Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Siddaramaiah held meetings with MLAs, ministers and in-charges from the districts of Tumakuru, Yadgir and Chitradurga.

Meanwhile, the evening meetings from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. will be hld with with MLAs, representatives and concerned ministers from Bagalkot, Ballary and Dharwad districts.

Sources explained that the Congress party has decided to quell the discontent at the starting stages by holding the meetings.

The MLAs from the respective districts would be given a fair chance to give their opinion on the ministers, their issues and problems.

After getting feedbacks from the MLA’s, he will give necessary directions to the ministers for maximum cooperation.

Sources have said that the Congress high command has given a clear instruction in this regard as the party wants to give a message to the country ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Siddaramaiah is also likely to request the MLAs not to insist on releasing of funds to developmental activities as the party’s first priority is to deliver all the five guarantee schemes and also to ensure the implementation of major projects in the state.

The letter allegedly written by Congress MLA B.R. Patil and 11 other party legislators exposing corruption by the cabinet ministers in the state proved to be a major embarrassment.

But Patil has claimed that the letter is fake and photoshopped and has also lodged a police complaint.

The sources explained that the MLAs are unhappy about the functioning of cabinet ministers.