BENGALURU: With Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar eager to celebrate the Congress government’s two years in office on May 23, 2025 and stake claim for the CM’s post in November, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is planning his own countermove by planning a cabinet reshuffle which he hopes will allow him to continue as CM, sources said.
“Shadowboxing between the two over change in leadership has continued. The CM may opt for a cabinet reshuffle to cling onto his post. Anything is possible before October 2025 when he completes two-and-a-half years as CM,” said a senior Congress MLA.
With the reshuffle, if the high command approves it, Siddaramaiah will cement his position as CM, the sources said. He has already sent the message to the party high command and Shivakumar indirectly.
Siddaramaiah won’t mind Shivakumar continuing as KPCC president and DCM with plum portfolios, including water resources and Bengaluru development. He is also willing to drop 15 ministers from his ministry, even though some of the names are from his coterie, sources said.
What will help him in dropping ministers is the distrust the party MLAs have against some ministers, which was apparent during the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, chaired by the chief minister, on Monday.
The MLAs openly raised the issue of ministers not responding to their proposals. Siddaramaiah did not seem worried about the ministers, but about MLAs, whose support is more important for him to continue as CM, an MLC observed.
Meanwhile, Medical Education Minister Dr Sharanprakash Patil and Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju were involved in a scuffle over the transfer of officials in Raichur district. Soon after the CLP meeting, Boseraju, who hails from Raichur, questioned Patil for giving a letter to MLA Basanagouda Daddal on transferring an officer. Patil defended himself, saying as Raichur district in-charge minister he responded to the MLA’s request. They had a verbal duel, sources said.