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Bengaluru, Oct 13 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, reacting to rumors about a dinner hosted for his cabinet ministers in Bengaluru, asked whether dining with cabinet ministers is considered a major crime.
He spoke to reporters after inaugurating the Kittur Utsav Mashal ahead of his visit to Hubli.
When reporters asked about the dinner hosted for his Cabinet ministers on Monday, the Chief Minister replied, “We dine sometimes. Is it a big crime to dine?”
Amid the change in the chief ministerial post in the state, Siddaramaiah is hosting a dinner meeting for his cabinet ministers in Bengaluru on Monday.
This development has assumed significance in Karnataka, coming at a time of speculations of change of leadership and strong rumors of cabinet reshuffle.
The dinner is being organized at ‘Kaveri’, the official residence of the Chief Minister in Bengaluru at 7 pm on Monday.
CM Siddaramaiah has invited all his cabinet ministers, and some ministers have openly confirmed their attendance.
However, Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President DK Shivakumar has not yet reacted to this development.
Interestingly, Shivakumar has canceled all his programs for Monday, further escalating the speculation.
Party sources say that the Deputy Chief Minister will attend the dinner with Congress National General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Sources in the Congress party said that Siddaramaiah has many agendas.
“The first is to send a strong message that amid claims by Shivakumar’s allies that there will be a leadership change in November and talk of a “November revolution” within the Congress government in Karnataka, he (Siddaramaiah) remains firmly in command of the state party unit,” party sources said.
Sources said the second agenda is to make cabinet ministers aware of the need to “sacrifice” cabinet posts in the interest of the party.
The challenge before Siddaramaiah is to reshuffle the cabinet without creating enmity.
Siddaramaiah’s faction fears that ministers who will lose their ministerial posts may be influenced to join Shivakumar’s faction.
Sources said the third agenda is to address the concerns raised by the Karnataka State Contractors Association’s letter to CM Siddaramaiah.
Sources said that the Chief Minister has taken the matter seriously, as the association has also sent a letter to the Congress high command.
Siddaramaiah is expected to direct the minister-in-charge – whose seven to eight departments are under investigation – to streamline processes and resolve the issues.
Ministers of the Siddaramaiah faction say that the dinner party is being organized because it has been a long time since the Chief Minister talked to them in a comfortable environment.
Siddaramaiah is also likely to brief cabinet ministers and Congress MLAs about the success of the guarantee schemes in the last two and a half years and outline important decisions to be taken by the Congress-led government in the future.
They are likely to discuss the challenges faced by the state government after the caste census, especially significant changes in reservation and related matters.
Hence, Siddaramaiah is likely to groom key party leaders and cabinet ministers to face the upcoming political challenges, stressing on the importance of maintaining unity and harmony after the cabinet reshuffle in the state.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the dinner meeting has been organized to direct cabinet ministers to arrange funds for the Bihar Assembly elections.
BJP alleges that Congress has made Karnataka its ATM for Bihar assembly elections.
–IANS
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