Commenting on strong rumours surrounding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hosting a dinner party for MLAs and ministers amid talks of leadership change and a cabinet reshuffle, Karnataka Home Minister and one of the senior-most leaders in the state, G. Parameshwara, downplayed the event and maintained that the only agenda of the dinner meet was to have food.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Friday, Parameshwara said while answering questions, “Hasn’t the CM invited us for dinner before? He has — many times. It had been a long time, so he invited us again. There is nothing special in it. He is hosting dinner, and we will attend. There is no agenda for the dinner meeting. The only agenda is to have food.”
“If there is a serious discussion, that is different. But this is a casual meeting. The CM simply said, ‘It’s been long, let’s have dinner together,’ so we are attending it,” Parameshwara added.
On the cabinet reshuffle, he said, “You should ask the Chief Minister himself. It is up to him to decide whom to include in the cabinet. There has been no evaluation of ministers. Such discussions keep happening from time to time.”
When asked about drastic changes in November, coinciding with Siddaramaiah completing half of his term, Parameshwara remarked, “Who said there will be a change in November?”
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On the secret meeting reportedly held by him along with ministers H.C. Mahadevappa and Satish Jarkiholi, he clarified, “There is nothing in it. I don’t know how you people see it. This is not the first time. Many times, I, Satish Jarkiholi, Mahadevappa, and others have met as friends to discuss whenever needed. It was not a political meeting.
Former minister K.N. Rajanna was not present. There were certain cabinet-related issues, and we discussed them. We have met many times earlier as well — even at Satish Jarkiholi’s or Mahadevappa’s houses. I have not made any statements, and I don’t know what Minister Satish Jarkiholi has spoken regarding the Deputy Chief Minister. He has spoken in general terms.”
It may be recalled that Minister Satish Jarkiholi had appealed for clearing the confusion within the state Congress party.
Explaining his stand on election promises, Parameshwara said, “We announce what people need during elections after understanding their expectations. Unemployment was a major concern, and that’s why it was mentioned in the manifesto. It is not possible to do everything in a single day; things will be done step by step.
We had announced in our manifesto that we would fill 2.5 lakh vacant posts — not all at once — but we have already begun the process. After resolving the issue of internal reservation, we have started recruitment. Be it in the police department or other departments, the process is underway.”
“If what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised was true and if he had implemented it, why would we criticize him? If he had fulfilled what he announced during elections, we would have praised him. But he did not. We had announced five guarantees, and we have implemented them,” he stated.
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The statements have assumed significance as they come amid talks of leadership change and a possible cabinet reshuffle. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has organized a dinner for Congress MLAs in Bengaluru on October 13.
Sources close to the Chief Minister stated that the reshuffle will take place after the Bihar elections. Through the dinner meeting, Siddaramaiah also aims to send out a strong message that there will be no change in leadership.
The Chief Minister has already spoken to AICC General Secretary and Congress MP K.C. Venugopal during his recent visit to Bengaluru and has stated that he will also discuss the matter with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah is contemplating dropping 15 ministers and inducting new faces into the cabinet. He has discussed this plan with Venugopal. Earlier, when the high command had asked him to drop eight to ten ministers, Siddaramaiah had reportedly disagreed.
His strategy, according to party sources, is that by carrying out a major reshuffle, he can signal that there will be no change in the Chief Minister’s post.
Speaking at the Valmiki Jayanti celebrations, Siddaramaiah also assured that a leader from the Valmiki community would be given a ministerial berth during the reshuffle.
Ankur Mishra is a journalist who covers an extensive range of news, from business, stock markets, IPOs to geopolitics, world affairs, international crises, and general news. With over a decade of experience in the business domain, Ankur has been associated with some of the reputed media brands. Through a sharp eye on global marketplaces along with deep insights and analysis of business strategies, Ankur brings simplicity to the complex economic matrix to decode market trends and empower people.
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