Dinner politics on, Dr G the ‘casualty?’
CM organises dinner party to foil Parmeshwaram's effort of becoming deputy CM
By : n.b. hombal
Update: 2014-08-25 05:40 GMT
Bengaluru: Ahead of the crucial Congress co-ordination committee meeting, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is busy in “dinner politics” to woo his cabinet colleagues to his side. His primary objective of organising such meetings is to foil Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, Dr G. Parameshwar’s efforts to become the Deputy Chief Minister. Mr Siddaramaiah had invited his senior colleagues in the Cabinet for dinner Saturday night, where he apparently broached the topic whether the post of DCM should be created or not? Many senior ministers reportedly suggested that there was no need for creating the post at this juncture and assured that they will support Mr Siddaramaiah’s decision not to create another power centre.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader disclosed that Mr Siddarmaiah has been maintaining in circles close to him that he does not want to share power with anyone. The source added that Mr Siddaramaiah launched ‘dinner politics’ to ensure that senior ministers such as Energy minister, D.K. Shivakumar and Home minister K.J George are with him at the Co-ordination committee scheduled for August 26.
“Mr Siddaaramaiah is a strong-headed personality who ensured that even Vokkaliga strongman D.K. Shivakumar remained outside the cabinet for almost seven months. “The CM has always felt that it will be his way or no way as long as he remains at the helm of affairs. “In the case of Mr Shivakumar itself, he proved to party central leaders that he would not budge easily on any count. Almost six times, AICC general secretary, Digvijay Singh had to remind Mr Siddaramaiah that he should take Mr Shivakumar into the cabinet,” the source explained.
According to the source, Mr Siddarmaiah is adopting similar strategies to block the entry of Dr Parameshwar into the cabinet. “In the case of Mr Shivakumar, Mr Siddaramaiah took the help of the intellectual community in the state. Now, the ploy is simple, make every senior cabinet minister eyeing the DCM’s post part of the game as the CM knows they will lobby hard to scuttle Dr Parameshwar’s chances rather than he doing it himself.
“Mr Siddaramaiah also knows that if these ministers make up their mind, they can block Dr Parameshwar’s entry into the cabinet as a minister itself. So in any case, the CM feels he can have the last laugh,” the source explained.