Siddharamaiah’s decision to sack Ambareesh was called “sudden” and “surprising”, but sources close to the Chief Minister say that Siddaramaiah had simply been waiting for the right time.
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In a bid to offset Vokkaliga ego both within the party and outside, the Congress is likely to make DK Shivakumar – often called the Congress’ Amit Shah – the Congress state president.
The major reshuffle of the three-year ministry comes a week after the Congress won three of the four Rajya Sabha seats and four of the seven seats in the state legislative council’s biennial elections. “I have led a respectable life, I command certain amount of dignity in public life”.
Priyank is the son of Kharge, while Lad returns to cabinet almost three years after he resigned in November 2013 as minister of state for information and infrastructure development over the mining scam that rocked the state during the then BJP rule.
While Ambareesh and Prasad have been dropped from the Siddaramaiah cabinet, Krishnappa was not inducted, though his name was doing the rounds. I have no interest in power.
“I want to know what wrong did I do”.
Ambareesh expressed confidence that many political parties would now approach him and give him a red carpet welcome.
Governor Vajubhai R. Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to nine new cabinet ministers and four ministers of state at Raj Bhavan here. With the reshuffle, the Ministry has a strength of 33, one less than the constitutional limit. The Karnataka Film Chambers said in a statement that it will be organising a cinema “bandh” (shutdown) in protest against the “unceremonious sacking” of Ambareesh as minister for housing.
S T Somashekar, who had yesterday claimed that eight legislators were contemplating resigning their Assembly membership in protest, met Ambareesh today and later said he has requested him not to quit in haste.
Naik had landed in trouble recently after Deputy Superintendent of Police of Kudligi in Ballari district Anupama Shenoy had resigned her post upset over his alleged interference in her work, embarrassing the government.
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Primary Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar, who was under fire after multiple question paper leaks in the course of pre-university exams this year, also lost his berth.
