DKS breakfast on silver plates, sets tongues wagging

Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar treated his ministerial colleagues from the Congress to an elaborate breakfast spread served on a silver platter on Thursday, raising eyebrows.

Shivakumar’s breakfast diplomacy at his Crescent Road residence comes ahead of the second round of cabinet expansion, slated to happen before October 15.

Politics aside, the banquet table itself assumed significance as it looked like a feast fit for a king. Even the water tumblers and bowls from which the ministers were served were of silver make.

While ‘Mulbagal Dosa’ was the highlight of the meal, the ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Revenue Minister R V Deshpande, got to relish various other mouth-watering south Indian dishes.

Though this is the third such meeting organised by the Congress leaders in the recent past, Thursday’s congregation of ministers was, however, seen as an attempt by Shivakumar to assert himself among his partymen.

Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah’s absence in the meeting raised eyebrows, leading to speculations that he was isolated on purpose.

Shivakumar, who is under the Enforcement Directorate (ED) scanner, did not invite Siddaramaiah though the latter was very much in Bengaluru.

Siddaramaiah, in fact, was the first to host a breakfast meeting for the Congress ministers, with Parameshwara following suit.

Shivakumar, who made it a point to invite KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre, however also failed to extend the invitation to Dinesh Gundu Rao, who is the party’s state unit chief.

While almost all the Congress ministers were present during the meeting, Municipalities Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was recently in a turf war with Shivakumar, was conspicuous by his absence.

Mines and Geology Minister Rajashekar Patil was the other minister who didn’t make it to the meeting.

Speaking to reporters later, Shivakumar said he had not sidelined Siddaramaiah. “Siddaramaiah cannot be invited for all meetings - he will be invited when it is required. But this doesn’t mean that he is being sidelined. Today’s breakfast meeting was organised as per his advice. Dinesh is not here because he is traveling abroad,” he said, adding that the next breakfast meeting would be hosted by Revenue Minister R V Deshpande.

Shivakumar said the ministers discussed issues pertaining to the cabinet expansion, Lok Sabha elections, and the Ramanagara and Jamkhandi bypolls.

Noting that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy would take a call on the Cabinet expansion, Shivakumar, however, said there would be no reshuffle.

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