BELAGAVI: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar appears to have moved to placate disgruntled Congress leaders following the recent Cabinet expansion, appointing Belagavi North MLA Asif Sait as chairman of the Belagavi Urban Development Authority (BUDA).
Sait, who was reportedly a strong contender for a ministerial berth, had lobbied with the party’s central leadership for a place in the Cabinet under the minority quota. He is said to have made several trips to Delhi to meet senior leaders.
Muslim religious leaders and community representatives from the Kittur Karnataka region had also held a convention in Belagavi, demanding a ministerial position for Sait.
With Sait missing out on a Cabinet berth, his appointment as BUDA chairman is being seen as an attempt to address his dissatisfaction and strengthen the party’s position in the region.
Sait replaces former BUDA chairman Laxmanrao Chingale, who has been removed from the post. Chingale, who had sought a Congress ticket from Chikkodi during the Lok Sabha elections, was appointed BUDA chairman after being denied the ticket.
The latest appointment is likely to have implications for the Congress’s internal equations in Belagavi, where several leaders have been seeking greater representation in the government and party organisation.
The move also comes amid efforts by the Congress leadership to manage expectations among aspirants who were left out of the recent Cabinet expansion.
