CM Siddaramaiah holds dinner meeting for ministers amid cabinet rejig buzz

Bengaluru, Oct 13 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday held a dinner meeting for his ministerial colleagues, amid buzz that the cabinet reshuffle was on the cards.

The meeting had gained significance amid speculation about a change of guard and cabinet reshuffle in the state, when the Congress government reaches the halfway mark of its five-year term in November, which is being referred to by some as "November revolution".

The dinner meeting, held at the chief minister's official residence 'Cauvery', was attended by Deputy CM D K Shivakumar and other cabinet colleagues, leaving three or four of them, who are said to have taken prior permission, official sources said.

Though several issues are said to have come up for discussion during the meeting, the ministers, who spoke to the media after the dinner, rejected any talks about the cabinet reshuffle.

Emerging from the meeting, Labour Minister Santosh Lad said it was a "casual dinner meeting".

"Last year too, he (CM) had called. This year he has also called. Every year he calls," he told reporters.

Ruling out any discussion on the cabinet reshuffle during the meeting, Lad said, it is left for the chief minister, Deputy CM and the high command to decide.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said there were discussions regarding polls for five new corporations in Bengaluru, and also zilla and taluk panchayat elections that are coming up.

"Polls for Bengaluru corporations are likely before March, and zilla and taluk panchayat polls also may happen during the same time, but both won't be held together," he said.

When asked whether there was any evaluation of ministers' performance at the dinner, Reddy said, there was no discussion on any reshuffle or evaluation of performance.

Rejecting the buzz linking his dinner meeting for cabinet colleagues with the proposed cabinet reshuffle, Siddaramaiah earlier in the day told reporters in Bagalkote, "It has nothing to do with this (dinner). Reshuffle has nothing to do with hosting a dinner." However, according to party sources, Siddaramaiah and his camp are planning for a cabinet reshuffle.

They said, any move by the CM to effect a cabinet reshuffle, as the government is about to complete 2.5 years in office, will be widely seen as a message that he is at the helm and will continue to do so. The action may come across as a setback for Shivakumar, who is known to be waiting to lay claim to the chief minister's chair.

Shivakumar had on Saturday played down speculation about the cabinet reshuffle in the state, calling it a "rumour" in the media. PTI KSU KH