Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday defended the inclusion of Bellary Rural MLA B Nagendra in his Cabinet, stating that an official report had found that the Congress leader was not involved in the alleged Rs 89-crore irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.
Shivakumar said Nagendra had earlier resigned from the Cabinet following discussions within the government over allegations linked to the alleged misappropriation of funds. However, he was later brought back into the Cabinet after the official investigation reportedly found that he had no involvement in the scam.
Speaking at the India Today Roundtable, Shivakumar said Nagendra was not responsible for the alleged wrongdoing and noted that around 95% of the money had been recovered during the investigation.
Shivakumar backs Nagendra
Defending the decision to reinstate Nagendra as a Minister, Shivakumar said the Bellary Rural MLA had been cleared of involvement by the official report.
“It was not Nagendra who did it,” Shivakumar said, while referring to the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.
The Chief Minister also described Nagendra as a disciplined member of the Congress and said he would follow the directions of the party.
“Nagendra is a disciplined soldier of the party,” Shivakumar said, adding that the MLA would act according to the party’s instructions in its interest.
Shivakumar also accused the BJP of attempting to make political gains from the controversy and said the Congress did not want to unnecessarily fall into what he described as the Opposition’s trap.
BJP continues demand for Nagendra’s removal
The Opposition BJP has repeatedly demanded Nagendra’s removal over the alleged scam. The party has staged protests both inside and outside the legislature seeking action against the Minister.
The controversy centres on the alleged misappropriation of funds belonging to the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. The alleged irregularities had triggered significant political controversy and led to demands for accountability from the state government.
Nagendra had resigned earlier amid the allegations. His subsequent return to the Cabinet has now become a fresh point of contention between the ruling Congress and the BJP.
Shivakumar, however, maintained that the official findings did not establish Nagendra’s involvement and therefore defended the government’s decision to induct him again.
Woman Minister likely to join Cabinet
Shivakumar also indicated that the Karnataka Cabinet could soon have a woman Minister.
Responding to questions about women’s representation in his Cabinet, the Chief Minister said the Congress was committed to the principle of women’s empowerment and assured that a woman would be inducted.
“I think in the next couple of days a woman Minister will be inducted,” he said.
The statement comes after the recent Cabinet expansion in which no woman was ultimately inducted despite the Congress announcing the name of MLC Gayathri Shanthe Gowda among the proposed Ministers.
Cabinet has one vacancy
Shivakumar expanded his Cabinet on August 3, around two months after becoming Chief Minister. Nineteen Ministers were inducted during the expansion, although the Congress had initially announced 20 names, including Gayathri Shanthe Gowda.
Her name was subsequently dropped at the last moment.
Explaining the situation, Shivakumar said a woman’s name had initially been cleared but that an issue emerged subsequently, resulting in the proposed induction not taking place.
The Karnataka government currently has 33 Ministers, against a sanctioned strength of 34. The remaining vacancy is widely expected to be used for accommodating a woman Minister.
Shivakumar’s latest remarks indicate that the government is considering filling the vacant position shortly.
CM dismisses pressure over Cabinet berths
The Chief Minister also addressed questions about pressure from Congress MLAs seeking ministerial positions and appointments to various boards and corporations.
Shivakumar said there was no difficulty in dealing with the ambitions of party legislators, while acknowledging that not everyone could be accommodated in the Ministry.
He pointed to the constitutional limit on the size of the Council of Ministers, which restricts the number of Ministers to 15% of the total strength of the state Assembly.
“Everyone is capable of becoming a Minister, board chairman, everything. I don’t have such pressures,” he said.
The Chief Minister indicated that political aspirations within the party could be accommodated through different responsibilities, including positions in boards and corporations, even though the limited number of Cabinet positions meant that every MLA could not become a Minister.
Shivakumar rejects factionalism claims
The Chief Minister also rejected the perception that the Karnataka Congress was divided into rival camps.
He said he did not believe in the existence of separate camps within the party and maintained that Congress leaders were united under the party’s banner.
“I don’t believe in a camp,” Shivakumar said, adding that he did not think former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had a separate camp either.
“We have a camp that is the Congress camp. We are all united,” he said.
The comments come amid continuing political discussions over Cabinet expansion, representation of women and the distribution of positions within the ruling party.
With one Cabinet position still vacant, Shivakumar’s indication that a woman Minister could be inducted in the coming days is likely to keep the issue in focus. At the same time, his defence of Nagendra signals that the government intends to stand by the Minister despite continued opposition from the BJP over the Valmiki Corporation controversy.