Was told I’d be included in Cabinet in June: Cong MLA

NT Correspondent

Chamarajanagara: Congress MLA from Chamarajanagara C Puttarangashetty on Sunday claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised he would be included in the Cabinet in June.

The statement comes a day after Deputy CM and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar had issued a gag order on MLAs and ministers from talking form the party and the State government’s internal matters, especially Cabinet reshuffle Congress MLA from Ramdurg and government Chief Whip Ashok Pattan's had in public said that there would be a Cabinet restructuring after twoand-a-half years, adding that he was promised a ministry.

Shivakumar denied that discussions on a Cabinet reshuffle had taken place. Puttarang ashetty, a Backward Class (BC) leader from the Uppara community, is in the Siddaramaiah camp and appears to have disregarded Shivakumar’’s ultimatum.

“The Chief Minister had told me that I would be given a ministerial post in June. Let’s wait and see,” he said. He added that he wasn’t aware of the larger plans of a Cabinet reshuffle.

“That is known to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and the high command. I’m not aware,” the MLA said.

It is to be noted that Puttarangashetty had refused to accept the post of the Deputy Speaker as a compromise. Rudrappa Lamani had been chosen for the position later on.