Confident Karnataka govt will complete five-year term, says G Parameshwara amid reports of growing discontent within Congress

Bengaluru: Amid continuing disquiet in the JD(S)-Congress coalition over ministerial berths, Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said he was confident about the government completing its five-year term. “At the beginning (of a new government), there will be such confusion but by solving them we will complete five years,” Parameshwara told reporters. [caption id=“attachment_4495417” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of G Parameshwara. Twitter@INCKarnataka[/caption] There is growing discontent among newly elected Congress lawmakers who were left out during the Cabinet expansion, with many openly expressing dissatisfaction and holding separate meetings. Responding to a question about disgruntlement within the party, Parameshwara, who is also the Pradesh Congress chief, said legislators would have to understand the situation as it was a coalition government. “Things are getting right, we have tried to convince that six ministerial berths are still to be filled in, so there is still opportunity. We have also said that after two years, there will be a change of ministers.” “After two years, Rahul Gandhi may change some people after looking at their performance. Also, the party high command has said that once in six months performance evaluation has to be done. So, many of them will get an opportunity.” “I have requested them to be patient,” he added. Making a desperate bid to set the house in order, state Congress leaders headed by Parameshwara had on Friday met former minister MB Patil, who has emerged as the leader of the dissident MLAs, who appeared in no mood to relent, at least not for now. Even Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy as the leader of the coalition made attempts to pacify Patil. Karnataka Congress working president Dinesh Gundu Rao, seen as an aspirant to Pradesh Congress Committee chief’s post, was in Delhi to meet the party high-command. Meanwhile, a group of 40 Congress MLAs are said to be planning to meet under the leadership of legislator BA Basavaraja sometime soon in an attempt to demonstrate unity within the party, that is seen as counter to disgruntled leaders, especially former minister MB Patil. The JD(S)-Congress Cabinet was expanded on 6 June with the induction of 25 new ministers, after intense bargaining for ministerial berths. The much-awaited exercise has caused heartburn among several lawmakers in the coalition while supporters of some of the ministerial aspirants staged protests. The Congress has dropped several key members of the previous Siddaramaiah ministry, including MB Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Ramalinga Reddy, R Roshan Baig, HK Patil, Tanvir Sait, Shamanur Sivashankarappaand, Satish Jarkhiholi, from the coalition government.