On salvage mission in Delhi, Siddaramaiah buys time

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah smoked the peace pipe at a crucial meeting with Congress MPs from Karnataka who have been grumbling that he has not taken them on board when it comes to crucial issues concerning the state, including fighting the severe drought. Wednesday night's meeting comes after the MPs openly voiced their ire over the CM's style of functioning.

The CM also held a meeting with all MPs from Karnataka including those from the BJP and JD(S) Wednesday evening.

With demands being made for his replacement, the CM who is in Delhi with a dozen ministers, is expected to patch up with the Congress MPs and make sure they do not abandon him when the chips are down. “This is only his second meeting with MPs in three years,” a leader told this newspaper while another leader felt he had chosen the wrong time to convene such a crucial meeting, when almost every Congress leader in New Delhi is fire-fighting the AugustaWestland chopper scam. “Parliament session was on and with a large number of Congress MPs from Karnataka, how can Mr Siddaramaiah try to build bridges with them at this juncture?" a source wondered.

Earlier in the day, not much happened at Mr Siddaramaiah's luncheon meeting with Congress MPs at former Union minister, K. Rehman Khan’s residence though, due to paucity of time as the MPs had to hurry to the Lok Sabha.