New Cabinet takes shape, Siddaramaiah-Sonia talks today

BENGALURU: With renewed confidence after wresting BBMP from BJP and a successful visit of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reached New Delhi on Monday with plans to carry out a full-fledged reshuffle of his 29 month-old ministry.

In a bid to carry out his plans, Mr Siddaramaiah has been meeting leaders who matter in Delhi before taking any final decision on carrying out the revamp.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader belonging to the CM’s camp disclosed that Mr Siddaramaiah wants to drop non-performing ministers and induct new faces.

“Although, even in the present cabinet, his supporters are more in numbers he still feels that such an exercise will provide an opportunity to fill vacant berths with more number of his supporters. He does not wish to squander such an opportunity,” the leader  added.

Besides, the revamp would help him regain his confidence among large section of party legislators. “It is a fact that many legislators have expressed unhappiness over the state government's style of functioning. This was reflected in several meetings of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) too,” the leader added.

The leader said Mr Siddaramaiah was vocally opposing the idea of accommodating KPCC president Dr Parameshwar as deputy chief minister.

“Mr Siddaramaiah who met Congress general secretary, Digvijay Singh, suggested that he was more than willing to accommodate Dr Parameshwar as  number two in his cabinet but not as DCM, and this offer has been rejected by Dr Parameshwar,” the leader added.

I never sought any post: Dr G Parameshwar
KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar on Monday declared that he had never made any demand for any post till date.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Dr Parameshwar said, “I know where I stand and how the Congress party functions in maters of such crucial decisions. It is never in the history of Congress that a leader is recognised only if he makes any demands. Therefore, whatever positions the party has offered to me are solely on my performance. Therefore, I have never made any demand for any post including that of DCM.” Defending the decision to organise a convention to mark five years in office as KPCC president, he said, “It is a party event and it will remain so. It is wrong to construe that it is being held as a show of strength. It is not so.”

Seniors to raise CM-Gowda affinity with top brass
Senior Congress leaders, who suspect Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s loyalty to the party, have evidently found substantial evidence about the leader’s new-found affinity towards JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda.

This aspect would figure in the list of complaints that would be passed on to the party’s top brass in New Delhi by the old guard among Congressmen to drive home the point that Mr Siddaramaiah’s plans to the strengthen the party’s support base through a revamp of his cabinet would not work. Sources in JD (S), too, confirmed about Mr Ibrahim’s meetings with Mr Gowda at regular intervals. “These meetings have no significance for present developments. Basically, Mr Siddaramaiah through Mr Ibrahim, made up with Mr Gowda, and can use his mended relationship at a later stage to effect polarisation in state politics,” sources added. As if this was not enough, Mr Gowda has gone soft on Mr Siddaramaiah during his recent interactions with media persons.

Therefore, Congressmen felt that Mr Siddaramaiah by getting closer to Mr Gowda, would damage the party’s prospects and harm the party’s interests. “We feel it is a well thought-out strategy of Mr Siddaramaiah. If in case, a political development of change of leadership arises in the state, Mr Siddaramaiah may encash his proximity to Mr Gowda. He will help strengthen the JD (S) base at the cost of Congress quietly,” sources said adding this would play a major role in high command’s decision to give in to his request to reshuffle the cabinet.