BENGALURU:Days after the Congress-JD(S) government completed 100 days in office, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara is all set to host a breakfast for ministers of his party. The move is being viewed by party insiders as an attempt to gain the confidence of Congress ministers and legislators who are currently disappointed with not being represented in the government effectively or aggressively.
Parameshwara is expected to host all 26 Congress ministers along with KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and working president Eshwar Khandre on September 7.
The meet comes at a time when Congress leaders, especially legislators, have been expressing displeasure over Parameshwara not addressing their concerns in the coalition. The central Congress leadership that has been constantly receiving information from the state has asked senior leaders, including Parameshwara, to “facilitate communication before things go out of control”.
The breakfast meet comes at a time when Coordination Committee Chief Siddaramaiah is on a Europe trip. “It was discussed in the Coordination Committee meeting that everyone in the government should talk to each other more and not function in separate silos. As far as the Congress is concerned, he is the head of the government and it is his responsibility to take ministers forward,” said a source.
Senior office-bearers of the state Congress acknowledge that Parameshwara has done little to break the notion that the party is playing second fiddle to JD(S). “The breakfast meeting is an opportunity for them to communicate it to him directly so both can work on it,” a party functionary said.
Indiscriminate transfer of officials and the delay in release of funds for ongoing works under PWD in districts are the primary cause of uneasiness among cabinet colleagues in the coalition government.
“Despite being seniors, many in the cabinet are first-time ministers. They need some hand-holding and time to understand the intricacies of how government functions. The coalition government is going to take continuous effort for it to work smoothly and that is what the leadership has asked him to do,” said a KPCC source.