2 ministers back CM, say no change in leadership

 Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, under attack from old-timers in the Congress, on Friday got the much-needed support from two of his ministerial colleagues.

Industries Minister R V Deshpande voluntarily called the media on Friday to say there was no change of leadership in the State as the Siddaramaiah-led government had been performing well.

Deshpande said a lot of guesswork was being made regarding the leadership. Senior leader S M Krishna’s meeting with the high command is being misconstrued as if he was seeking some changes here. As a senior leader, he keeps regularly meeting the leaders in Delhi in the interest of the party. In the Congress, it is the high command which takes the decision as to who should lead the party and the government, he added.

Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao, replying to reporters questions in Bengaluru, said the Siddaramaiah-led government had been doing a good job. “Siddaramaiah is our leader. It is irrelevant to discuss a change in the chief ministership,” he said.

He said there was no need to read too much into Krishna’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi.
Rao said there could be some minor problems in the State and they could be sorted out through discussions. Nobody in the party has demanded a change in the leadership, he said. When his attention was drawn to State Congress president G Parameshwara’s request for donations to the party, Rao said there was nothing wrong in it. “He has secretly asked for our contribution. The BJP looted mines and raised funds for the party. But the Congress is not into such practices,” he pointed out.