Congress to take up pending appointments issue with Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy

BENGALURU: The Congress is learnt to have decided to take up the issue of pending appointments to boards and corporations with Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy.

The CM on Sunday announced the appointment of 14 MLAs as Chairmen of Boards and Corporations, and eight other legislators as Parliamentary Secretaries. The CM has withheld the appointments of five MLAs causing disappointment in the Congress camp.

The post of chairman of State Pollution Control Board has turned out to be one of the most contentious. The Congress had recommended the name of Chikkaballapur MLA Dr.K.Sudhakar, a follower of former CM Siddaramaiah, as he was a strong ministerial aspirant from Vokkaliga community. He was offered Pollution Control Board chairman post, instead.


A qualified doctor, Dr.Sudhakar is upset the JD(S) is trying to deny him even this post on grounds that he was not qualified. The MLA had told ET recently that he has practical knowledge in some of the environmental aspects including climate change and carbon credit, and hence, was technically qualified to do justice to the Pollution Control Board position.

There are rumours that the government might bring up the subject of fixing technical qualification to the Board Chairman position at the Cabinet meeting this week.

The CM has also withheld appointments to the positions of Chairmen at BDA and BMTC.