Board chief choices: CM faces uphill task

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT
Bengaluru

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who is an engineering graduate, will have to use all his skills to ensure an equilibrium in the appointment of chairmen and vicechairmen to various boards and corporations with a huge list of aspirants waiting to occupy these posts at least for the next 10 months.

Bommai had been successful in securing the resignation letters from the existing chairmen and vice-chairmen in a bid to induct new faces but the biggest challenge for him will be the selection of candidates for these posts.

Already, lobbying has started with the aspirants meeting their ‘political godfathers’ with the plea to consider their names. All the 42 chairmen and the scores of vicechairmen of various boards and corporations were appointed by previous CM, B.S.Yediyurappa. At that time it was a smooth affair as the BJP had just come to power in 2019, just a year after the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by Chief Minister H.D.Kumarawamy collapsed.

Now, the CM has to face a lot of pressure from various quarters to make their near and dear ones chairmen of reputed boards and corporations. Some of them have already gone to Yediyurappa requesting him to advise his ‘shishya’ to make them chairpersons.

Similarly, others have gone to their political masters like B.L.Santosh, Jagadish Shettar, D.V.Sadananda Gowda, Nalinkumar Kateel, Shobha Karandlaje and other MPs requesting them to put in a word to Bommai. Sources claimed that the list was being prepared by Nirmalkumar Surana in consultation with the CM and Kateel, and is likely to be finalised before July 18. But seeing the mad rush of aspirants, the CM may have to apply a yardstick acceptable to everyone.

Sources told News Trail that the CM favours two posts of either chairman or vice-chairman for each district in order to provide equal representation to all districts. Previously, there were complaints of excess representation for districts like Mysuru and Shivamogga. Mysuru had six chairmen besides a number of vice-chairman thanks to Yediyurappa.

This time the post of chairman of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) may be given to one of the four MLAs, S.A.Ramdas, L.Nagendra, B.Harshavardhan or C.S.Niranjankumar as they cannot be accommodated in the council of ministers.

According to sources, the high command is planning to make prominent party workers of districts where the BJP is not strong in order to make inroads into new terrain. In that case, Mandya, Ramanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Tumkur, Kolar and Chikkaballapur may get more posts.

Most aspirants want only reputed boards or corporations that have good funds, perks, an office and vehicle to move around the state. Some of the corporations or boards have hardly any funds which suffice only for the salary and perks of existing staff and are not in demand.