According to party sources, a group of senior MLAs who have served for over three terms-including T B Jayachandra, the special representative of the Government of Karnataka in New Delhi, and Assembly Chief Whip Ashok Pattan-will travel to Delhi on Sunday. They are likely to meet AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
“The Delhi trip is not under anyone’s specific leadership. During the recent Assembly session, senior legislators who have won three, four and five times met, held discussions and decided to meet the party leadership to bring certain matters to their notice. Because of the by-elections, it was postponed. Now that Parliament is reconvening and all leaders will be in Delhi, we have unanimously decided to go and meet them. We are going tomorrow and day-after-tomorrow,” Jayachandra told reporters on Saturday.
He said, “There are expectations that 40 people may come, some are in their constituencies, and they will somehow come and join. We plan to meet Kharge, Venugopal, and Surjewala. We also plan to meet Rahul Gandhi; preparations are underway. Since so many legislators are going, he may agree to meet us.” Further noting that the Congress government is about to complete three years in office, Jayachandra said, “Several youngsters were given an opportunity during the last three years. We now request that senior legislators with administrative experience be considered during the reshuffle. That’s our main intention.” This group of senior Congress legislators, who have served as MLAs for over three terms, met Siddaramaiah last month and urged him to rejig his cabinet to give them an opportunity to serve as ministers.
After meeting the CM, the group of about 40 legislators said they would go to New Delhi together after the April 9 bypolls, to meet the Congress high command and request inclusion of at least 20 of them in the reshuffle.
Ahead of meeting the CM, the group of aspirants met over dinner and discussed.
Some first and second-time legislators have also recently pressed for a cabinet reshuffle. The demand for a cabinet reshuffle has come to the fore amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling party over the CM post.
According to party sources, while Siddaramaiah favours a cabinet reshuffle, Shivakumar wants the party to first decide on the leadership change.
According to several party insiders, if the Congress high command approves the cabinet reshuffle, it would signal that the incumbent chief minister Siddaramaiah will complete the full five-year term, which will scuttle the chances of Shivakumar from occupying the coveted post.
Karnataka has a sanctioned strength of 34 ministers, including the chief minister.
Two cabinet berths are currently vacant-following the resignation of B Nagendra over allegations of embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation, and the sacking of K N Rajanna on the instructions of the party high command.
