LoP takes swipe at CM over ‘delay’ in portfolio allocation

Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader R Ashoka on Thursday took a dig at Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar over the alleged delay in allocation of portfolios to the ministers who were newly inducted into his cabinet, and called him a “dummy CM”.

The leader of opposition in the legislative assembly sought to know whether the CM was waiting for the high command’s approval to allocate portfolios to the ministers from the “payment quota,” or whether he was holding back as the agreed payment has not yet been made.

“It has been three days since the new ministers took the oath of office… yet there is still no sign of portfolio allocation!” Ashoka posted on ‘X’. “Dear dummy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, are you waiting for the high command’s approval to assign portfolios to the payment quota ministers or have you held back because the agreed payment has not yet been credited to the account?” he asked.

Two months after assuming charge as the Chief Minister, Shivakumar on Monday expanded his Cabinet by inducting 19 ministers, taking its total strength to 33. One berth had been kept vacant.

The LoP further accused the Congress of “failing” Karnataka and said, “Meanwhile, Delhi’s collection agent, Randeep Surjewala (AICC General Secretary), is busy going from one dissatisfied MLA’s house to another, trying to placate them and doing patchwork to keep the weakening government together.”

“So, from now on, will Mr Surjewala have to come to Bengaluru to sign every file? Have you reserved a room for him in Vidhana Soudha? Or have you arranged to send all the files to Delhi by speed post?” he asked Shivakumar, calling him “rubber-stamp Chief Minister.”

Ashoka noted that the people are clearly beginning to understand whether there is a real government functioning in the state or whether it is merely a drama of the Delhi high command running the government through “remote control.”