Five MLAs should be made ministers; letter from young Congress MLAs shocks Congress

BENGALURU: Amid the continuing tussle between DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah over the sharing of the Chief Minister’s post in Karnataka, the party is facing a fresh crisis. A section of MLAs from the party has sent a letter to the leadership demanding representation in the Cabinet.

As many as 38 young MLAs have demanded that five among them be included in the state Cabinet. They argue that the strong support from young leaders helped the party defeat the BJP government in the 2023 Assembly elections. However, they say this contribution was not recognised when the Cabinet was formed. The young legislators claim that the 2023 election victory was a mandate for fresh and youthful leadership. But in the 34-member Cabinet currently in power, not even one young MLA has been given a ministerial position, they allege.

The MLAs said that including five young members in the Cabinet would bring together youth and experience, which would benefit the government. They also pointed out that in several other states, first-time legislators have been appointed as ministers and even Chief Ministers. Therefore, they argued that lack of experience should not be used as a reason to deny them opportunities.

The letter has been sent to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, the power struggle between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar continues to intensify. Siddaramaiah recently said that some people were trying to sideline him politically, a remark widely seen as aimed at Shivakumar. The new demand from young MLAs has further increased pressure on the ruling Congress government in the state.