Reports about Minister Satish Jarkiholi's Delhi visit triggers speculation within Cong circles

Bengaluru, Nov 2 (PTI) Senior Minister Satish Jarkiholi's proposed visit to New Delhi has triggered speculation within the ruling Congress circles in Karnataka.

According to reports, PWD Minister Jarkiholi, will be travelling to the national capital along with some party leaders on Monday, and during his visit, he is expected to meet Congress top brass.

This development comes amid speculation about the chief minister change 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".

This move by Jarkiholi, a senior ST leader in the Congress, who is considered close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is being seen with a political significance within the party and political circles.

The visit has also triggered speculation about the demand for change of the state Congress President, the post currently held by Deputy CM D K Shivakumar for an extended tenure. Jarkiholi had in the past, openly spoken about his aspirations for the party chief post.

When reporters questioned him regarding Jarkiholi's Delhi visit, CM Siddaramaiah said, "I don't know. Jarkiholi hasn't spoken to me. He did not tell me about travelling to Delhi." Shivakumar said leaders keep visiting Delhi for their work. Linking every visit to politics is not right.

Noting that he, too, will be travelling for Bihar polls campaigning and to Delhi for discussion with the legal team on Cauvery river water related case in the Supreme Court, he said, "Let him (Jarkiholi) go and come. MLAs and ministers visit Delhi for their work. Some have been made incharge for Bihar polls. Some go on organisational tasks. We can't stop anyone on duty. Congress head office is like a temple for us." Reacting to the proposed Jakiholi's Delhi visit, Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, speaking to reporters in Koppal said, neither the CM post, nor the KPCC president post are vacant. Both are held by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar respectively.

Siddaramaiah's son, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, recently pitching Jarkiholi, as his father's ideological successor, was seen as the stiffening of the argument in the CM's camp that power must vest within the AHINDA fold, and it had created some flutters in the party circles.

AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) is a grouping that has been Siddaramaiah's electoral edifice. PTI KSU KH