Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hosted a dinner party for his cabinet colleagues at his official residence ‘Cauvery’ in Bengaluru on Monday night amid speculations of an imminent cabinet reshuffle.
The dinner meeting came weeks ahead of the Congress government completing two-and-a-half years in power.
Quoting sources, the IANS news agency reported that the ministers discussed the cabinet reshuffle, elections to the Bengaluru civic agency, the caste census, RSS activities in the state and the Bihar assembly elections.
Siddaramaiah reportedly told ministers that they should be ready to give up their positions if required and involve themselves in organisational work. The chief minister also asked them to focus on their work and not worry too much about losing their posts.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also attended the dinner, but left early, according to reports.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy, however, said no discussion was held on the cabinet reshuffle and that the only agenda of the meeting was the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Zilla Panchayat (ZP), and Taluk Panchayat (TP) elections.
It may be noted that both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were contenders for the chief minister post after Congress won the 2023 assembly elections. When the Congress high command chose Siddaramaiah for the top post, there were reports that Shivakumar had agreed to an understanding under which he would be made the chief minister after two and a half years.
The Congress leadership has never publicly acknowledged such an arrangement as being in existence. Moreover, Siddaramaiah has stated on several occasions that he will complete his five-year term as the chief minister.
Shivakumar's camp, however, maintains that, as per the power-sharing agreement, Siddaramaiah is expected to step down next month, sparking rumours of a 'November Revolution' in the Congress party.
According to reports, Siddaramaiah’s dinner party was aimed at sending out a strong message that he remains in command of the state unit amid these talks of a leadership change.