Bommai asks chairmen of boards and corpns to quit

Shyam Sundar Vattam/NT
Bengaluru

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has reportedly decided to show the exit route to all chairpersons of various state-run boards and corporations who have completed one and a half years in office. This is being done to have another set of new faces for these powerful bodies before the Assembly polls next year.

Since almost all appointments to the boards and the corporations were done by previous Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa, Bommai wanted to replace the whole team last year with a new one but it was opposed by Yediyurappa after a group of chairmen owing allegiance to the veteran Lingayat leader, complained to him about them likely to be shown the door by his successor.

To avoid a faceoff, the CM decided to continue all of them for another six months. Bommai during one of his visits to Delhi, raised this issue with the high command and explained to them that another set of party workers are waiting for their appointments to the boards and corporations and they cannot be made to wait any longer since hardly eight to ten months are left for the Assembly polls.

The Delhi leaders are reportedly convinced with the CM’s contention and gave him permission to secure the resignation of the current chairmen and allow a new set of leaders to enjoy power till the dates for the Assembly polls are announced.

Accordingly, the CM had already got the list of candidates approved for these posts which will be announced in a day or two. Even while this is happening, a few chairmen of boards and corporations have refused to step down asserting that they will continue till they complete three years in office. Usually, the term of a chairman is a minimum three years or till the new government comes to power.

There are also reports that Bommai does not want to ‘disturb’ some MLAs who were chairmen or managing directors as they had been given these posts because ministerial slots were not available. It is learnt that Bommai has already explained the decision to remove the existing chairmen to Yediyurappa and he is learnt to have agreed to it.

The former CM knows well that it would be very difficult to face the 2023 polls without the support of party workers. So the best way to keep them happy is to appoint them chairmen of boards and corporations. The big question: Will the outgoing chairmen quit on their own or go out with a scowl on their faces?