CM may visit Delhi to discuss poll results with high command

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to visit New Delhi on February 26 to apprise the Congress high command of the poor performance of the party in the recently held bypolls to three Assembly constituencies and elections to zilla and taluk panchayats.

Sources in the State Congress said the chief minister was likely to meet All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Digvijaya Singh, in Delhi and discuss the reasons for the party not performing up to the expectations in the polls. The Congress managed to win only one of the three Assembly seats in the byelections. In the panchayat polls, the party secured a majority in only 10 of the total 30 zilla panchayats.

Sources said the party might undertake an exercise to fix the responsibility for the setback in the elections. The chief minister has already said he would conduct the long-pending reshuffle of the Cabinet in April after the budget session of the State Legislature. Pressure has been mounting on Siddaram-aiah to drop non-performing ministers from the Cabinet.

Cong chief visit DelhiCongress State president G Parameshwara visited New Delhi on Wednesday. Though his close aides said it was a private visit, sources said he was planning to meet the party leaders to explain the election results. There was no official confirmation on Parameshwara meeting any senior party leader in the national capital. On seeking his reaction to Parameshwara’s visit to Delhi, Siddaramaiah said the State party president need not take his permission to visit any place. “He might have visited Delhi. I am not aware why he has gone there. He need not take my permission to visit any place,” he said.