BENGALURU: With the Congress high command naming VD Satheesan as Kerala’s next chief minister and putting an end to the suspense in that state, the issues of change in leadership and the long-pending cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka are back in focus.
The camps of both Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar are all set to meet the party’s Central leaders, insisting that they clear the air over the issues of change in leadership and the long-pending cabinet reshuffle.
Congress Chief Whip in the Assembly, Ashok Pattan, on Thursday said that he will lead a group of MLAs to New Delhi seeking cabinet berths in the reshuffle as soon as Satheesan takes the oath next Monday.
“Our main demand is that senior legislators who have won more than three times should be inducted as ministers if there is a reshuffle. We do not know what is in the mind of the party Central leaders... whether they will give their nod for the reshuffle or change in leadership,” he said.
Pattan said that they had decided to go to Delhi earlier, but had deferred it as AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal was busy in forming the government in Kerala.
“We will go to Delhi in two or three days after the new Kerala CM is sworn in. I must get some sweet news this time as I am confident that there will be a cabinet reshuffle within a month,” Pattan said.
Pattan had led a delegation of 25 legislators to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge in April, demanding cabinet berths. “This time, the number of MLAs in the delegation is likely to increase,” informed sources to The New Indian Express.
Meanwhile, Congress Chief Whip in the Council Saleem Ahmed, a strong contender himself for the ministerial post, said that the high command is likely to call both the CM and Deputy CM to Delhi to clear the confusion.
“The incumbent ministers should be dropped and assigned organisational work. New faces should be inducted,” he said, hoping that the top brass would arrive at a decision before this month ends.
Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, too, said that the top brass will take up issues related to the party in Karnataka soon. “There are many MLAs aspiring to become ministers. There is nothing wrong. New faces should be given an opportunity. After the formation of the government in Kerala, the top brass will focus on Karnataka,” he said. Former minister KN Rajanna is also likely to visit Delhi seeking a cabinet berth, sources added.
Shivakumar camp members, including Magadi MLA HC Balakrishna, Kunigal MLA Dr H D Ranganath and Gubbi MLA SR Srinivas and others are chalking out a plan to meet the high command leaders in Delhi, sources added.
