BENGALURU: Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, who is among the frontrunners for the chief minister’s post in case it falls vacant, appears to be taking Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s supporters into confidence one after the other, possibly with the CM’s assent.
He met PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi over lunch recently, and met Industries Minister MB Patil over breakfast at the latter’s residence on Friday. The duo discussed the political situation and outcome of the High Court’s decision with regard to the MUDA case against the CM, according to sources.
They travelled with Siddaramaiah in his car for the Yettinahole project inauguration in Sakleshpur, though what transpired between them is not known.
The developments panned out after Parameshwara met Rahul Gandhi and high command leaders in New Delhi recently. Even during his visit to the national capital, Parameshwara was on board a special flight along with Siddaramaiah and the latter’s supporters, including Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan and Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa.
“Parameshwara, who was originally a Congress leader, has become adaptive even to Siddaramaiah and his supporters who joined the party in 2008-09. When he lost the 2013 assembly polls from Koratagere assembly constituency, despite running for the CM’s post, there were widespread rumours that Siddaramaiah’s supporters had worked hand in glove with Parameshwara’s rivals.
But politics has transformed over the past decade, and now Parameshwara seems to be in Siddaramaiah’s good books because the party high command must have given such instructions,” observed a Congress leader.