‘Proper reason should be given’: Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao seeks answers from party leadership on exclusion from Cabinet

BENGALURU: Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao questioned his sudden removal from the council of ministers and highlighted his clean record and dedication to the party organisation.

The Congress leader expressed deep disappointment over his exclusion from the state cabinet, questioning the party leadership for not explaining the decision despite his years of loyal service.

He said, “I am more disappointed with the fact that they have not given a proper reason for why I have been excluded. I have been a minister and have had many opportunities in the Congress Party. The only thing is that they should have told me the reasons. I don’t know why I have been dropped. Was I a bad performer as a minister? Do I have any corruption charges? Was I not working well for the party? I have always been loyal to the party, and whatever responsibility the party has given me, I have always tried to do my best.”

#WATCH | Bengaluru: On being excluded from the Cabinet, Karnataka Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “…I am more disappointed with the fact that they have not given a proper reason for why I have been excluded. I have been a minister and have had many opportunities in the… pic.twitter.com/39qk5jIwBk

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Expressing deep hurt over the lack of communication regarding his current removal, Dinesh Gundu Rao further said, “Even in the previous government when Siddaramaiah was there, I voluntarily told him for three years that he should make somebody else a minister because I wanted to work for the party. Becoming a minister is not the end for me. But the disappointment is that they have not given me a proper reason why they have dropped me…I hope that at least in the future they will tell me the reason for dropping me. A proper reason should be given. That is the only thing I expect. I am a loyal Congressman. I believe in the ideology of the Congress Party.”

“Congress has given me a lot, no doubt. At the same time, people ask me, and I have no answer as to why they have dropped me,” Rao added.

Dinesh Gundu Rao also extended greetings to the newly inducted lawmakers while urging the high command to address the grievances of other waiting veterans. He said, “I congratulate all the people who have just got the opportunity to become ministers. I hope they will do a good job and serve the interests of the people of Karnataka well. My best wishes to them.”

Pointing out the necessity for party unity during administrative changes, he added, “The party leadership should look into all those who are disappointed, including many seniors who have not got opportunities and have been waiting for a long time. They should talk to them, console them, and try to bring them on board. This exercise should be done by the party leadership, our state KPCC president, and the Chief Minister. I am sure they will do all that so that whoever has not got an opportunity can be consoled. These things always happen when a ministry formation takes place.”

On Monday, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expanded his Karnataka Cabinet, clearing the names of 20 ministers, including one woman, Gayathri Shanthegowda. The expanded ministry includes 12 new faces, while eight incumbent ministers have been retained.

Many of these leaders have previously served as ministers in Congress governments and were considered strong contenders for Cabinet berths. Their exclusion has sparked discussions within the party over the balance between experience, regional representation and community considerations in the allocation of ministerial positions.

The expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet has triggered discontent among several senior Congress leaders who were left out of the ministry, with some questioning the selection process and others expressing disappointment over their exclusion.

Senior Congress leader and six-time Gandhinagar MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao expressed deep disappointment over his exclusion from the Karnataka cabinet, questioning the lack of transparency in the decision-making process while reaffirming his unwavering loyalty to the party and his constituents.

“It is disappointing that after so many years of service to the state and the party, I have not been considered to serve the government in this cabinet. I am disappointed by decisions taken without being given any reason for my exclusion,” Rao stated. (ANI)