BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is said to have got the clearance from Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to reshuffle his cabinet on Saturday.
The clearance came when Siddaramaiah, who was paying a courtesy call to Rahul in Delhi after Congress and INDIA bloc’s loss in Bihar polls, discussed state politics for about twenty minutes. Energy Minister KJ George too was present at the meeting.
Rahul suggested to Siddaramaiah to discuss the cabinet reshuffle with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, a source said. With the approval from the high command in his pocket, Siddaramaiah could drop 10-12 of his ministers and make his position strong to continue as chief minister even after completing two-and-a-half years in office on November 20. But this will be a serious setback for Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who wants to be chief minister at the half-way mark of five-year tenure of the present Congress government. For, there is reportedly an agreement that was brokered by the high command in 2023 when the party came
to power that lays down Siddaramaiah to be chief minister for the first half of the Congress government and Shivakumar to be in the helm for the second half.
It is to be seen if Shivakumar will insist on power change at a time when the party is going through one of its lowest points. The party could also be averse to a risky change of leadership in Karnataka, the only big state that it is in power in the country.
He may have to put his aspirations on hold for some time and continue as KPCC president, analysts said.
On Saturday, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar took part in the release of 100th episode of book ‘Dil Se’ authored by senior leader and Supreme Court counsel Kapil Sibal. Ministers from the Siddaramaiah camp, who want to continue after the reshuffle -- Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, Social Welfare minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar and chief whip in the Assembly Ashok Pattan -- accompanied the CM during his Delhi visit.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as the latter has given him an appointment. Siddaramaiah will put forth a demand for Rs 1,545 crore from NDRF to take up recovery and reconstruction of infrastructure, lost due to heavy south west monsoon rain, especially in northern parts of the state.
He is also likely to discuss problems of sugarcane farmers and sugar factory owners, seeking the policy intervention of the Centre to enhance the fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane, minimum support price for sugar and its export, and allotment of ethanol to oil companies.