BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's cabinet reshuffle has made quite a stir, triggering protests across the state as senior leaders were sent away and fresh faces were brought in for "dynamism" in the Congress government. The move came at a time when dissidence was already brewing against his leadership.
Disgruntled Congress leaders and sacked ministers went on a rampage across the region, an unrest that turned ugly within the first few hours itself. Several vehicles were torched and party offices ransacked by mobs. Siddaramaiah, however, remained unaffected with the unrest, as he went ahead and chose 13 MLAs who took the oath of office at the glasshouse of Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. He addressed the media after convening a short meeting with the new cabinet, saying, "Reports of dissidence within the party are only rumours. I will personally speak to all the MLAs. Be it the leadership or reshuffle, there is no dissidence in the Congress party."
Of the 13 new ministers, nine were given cabinet rank while four have been state ministers with independent charge. Amidst criticism by his peers, Siddaramaiah ensured a blend of experience and fresh faces, hoping to rebuild the image of the government with his new cabinet. Vijayanagar and RPC Layout area witnessed widespread protests by supporters of M Krishnappa, following the withdrawal of his name from the ministerial probables' list. The protesters even barged into Hosahalli Metro station to register their protest after burning tyres and holding up traffic for hours in and around the busy West of Chord Road area.
