30 senior Congress MLAs hold dinner meeting to seek Cabinet reshuffle, berths

About 30 MLAs of the ruling Congress in Karnataka met for a dinner meeting at a private club in Bengaluru on Thursday to press the party high command to allow Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to undertake a Cabinet reshuffle and induct senior legislators.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the MLAs said the party high command had earlier assured them that a Cabinet reshuffle would be considered after the government crosses the mid-term mark. The Congress government completed half of its five-year tenure last November.

The legislators said they were seeking the induction of experienced MLAs who have been elected 3 to 4 times to the Assembly. According to them, at least 22 such MLAs should be accommodated in the Cabinet during the reshuffle.

The meeting attracted attention amid speculation over a possible change of leadership in the State after the Budget or following Assembly elections in five States. The dinner meeting was held on the same night that Mr. Siddaramaiah and his Ministers convened a Cabinet meeting.

Several MLAs who attended the meeting told the media that they would visit New Delhi at the end of this month, after the Budget session of the Assembly concludes on March 27, to press their demand before the party leadership.

Among those who spoke to the media were Chief Whip in the Legislative Assembly Ashok Pattan, Belur Gopalakrishna and K.M. Shivalinge Gowda. They said around 30 MLAs had gathered to discuss the need for a Cabinet reshuffle.

MLAs cutting across factional loyalties attended the meeting. Prominent among them were H.C. Balakrishna, N.A. Haris, Srinivas Mane, Laxman Savadi, T.B. Jayachandra, Ganesh Hukkeri and Puttaranga Shetty, among others.

Mr. Shivalinge Gowda said the government would soon complete nearly three years in office, and reiterated that the party leadership had promised a Cabinet reshuffle after the mid-term. “We are urging the high command to allow the Chief Minister to undertake the reshuffle and induct experienced legislators into the Ministry,” he said.

Sagar MLA Mr. Gopalakrishna said opportunities should be given to experienced legislators elected multiple times to strengthen the party.

Mr. Pattan said the MLAs would meet the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister before travelling to Delhi after the Budget session. “We will meet the party’s central leadership to press for Cabinet berths. We are not demanding positions for all 30 MLAs, but at least 22 should be inducted into the Cabinet,” he said.

While Mr. Siddaramaiah has been seeking the high command’s nod for the Cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Shivakumar has been opposing it on the pretext that it would delay his promotion to the top post.