BENGALURU: In a move that is sure to raise some eyebrows, Congress MLA C S Shivalli visited Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy at his residence on Friday. The dissenting MLA, who has been lobbying for a ministerial berth, landed at Kumaraswamy's residence a day after AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal warned Congress legislators to stay away from unauthorised meetings and open dissent.
Although Shivalli claimed that the meeting was to discuss development works in his constituency, Kumaraswamy's meeting with M B Patil during the peak of dissent in Congress and consecutive intervention of the party's high command has left many wondering if Kumaraswamy has become the new 'point person' for disgruntled Congress legislators to connect with the party's Delhi leadership.
"I met the CM to discuss development in my constituency. I am confident of getting a berth in the next cabinet expansion," Shivalli told the media after the meeting. While the meeting has made the Congress leadership in the state jittery, the party has chosen to downplay it. "There is nothing wrong in an MLA meeting the CM. There are many things they may have to discuss and not necessarily cabinet berths," said a state Congress office-bearer. Despite KPCC chief G Parameshwara being the Deputy CM, Shivalli chose to meet Kumaraswamy.
Shivalli's meeting with Kumaraswamy comes a day before the Chief Minister is scheduled to visit New Delhi for a NITI Aayog meeting. The JD(S) has maintained that Kumaraswamy is not scheduled to meet AICC Chief Rahul Gandhi during his stay in Delhi. "Congress MLAs visiting Kumaraswamy won't help them since the party won't like it. There will be no positive outcome," said a Congress senior leader, asserting that all is not well when a party man goes to the doorstep of the coalition partner.