<p>Bengaluru: With over two dozen lawmakers camping in New Delhi to become ministers, Deputy Chief Minister and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/karnataka-india">Karnataka</a> Deputy Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/d-k-shivakumar">D K Shivakumar</a> on Monday warned them against violating the party’s discipline.</p><p>Some 30 lawmakers, including Government Chief Whip Ashok Pattan, are in the national capital to mount pressure on the Congress high command to approve a major reshuffle of Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/siddaramaiah">Siddaramaiah</a>’s Cabinet. Most of these MLAs are Siddaramaiah’s loyalists. </p><p>“They must maintain discipline. They must respect the party. They shouldn't damage the party before the media,” Shivakumar told reporters.</p><p>“Their future lies in the party, not the media. So, I appeal to all my MLAs...there’s nothing wrong with meeting party leaders. But we'll have to act if unnecessary statements are made,” he said. </p><p>Shivakumar said some of the MLAs met him before leaving for Delhi. “I told them there was nothing wrong with their demands. First-time MLAs, second-time MLAs...it’s not that they shouldn’t become ministers,” he said. </p><p>However, Shivakumar pointed out that the timing was not right. “This isn’t the time. Elections are still on. Some (party leaders) have been sent to Tamil Nadu. Let’s do the elections first,” he said.</p>.Congress MLAs to visit Delhi, demand Cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka.<p>Ministerial aspirants want a Cabinet reshuffle before May 15. On May 20, the Congress government will complete three years in office. Pattan and others argue that the party had assured them that the Cabinet would be reshuffled after two and a half years.</p><p>MLAs who are identified as Shivakumar's loyalists are also demanding ministerial berths. "There are 38 first-time MLAs who have urged the party that at least five of us should be given a chance as ministers," Mandya MLA Ravikumar Gowda (Ganiga), a first-time lawmaker himself, said. </p><p>Reacting to MLAs camping in Delhi, Home Minister G Parameshwara said the Congress high command "knows everything" and that a decision will be made at the right time. He added that senior ministers like himself will have to exit if the high command decided so. </p><p><strong>DKS meets Kharge</strong></p><p>Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. It is speculated that he urged the party top brass to first settle the leadership dispute between him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. </p><p>However, Shivakumar said he discussed the Tamil Nadu campaign with Kharge. "I was instructed to visit Tamil Nadu. I'll have to go again. I had to give (Kharge) a report. That's it," he said. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: With over two dozen lawmakers camping in New Delhi to become ministers, Deputy Chief Minister and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/karnataka-india">Karnataka</a> Deputy Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/d-k-shivakumar">D K Shivakumar</a> on Monday warned them against violating the party’s discipline.</p><p>Some 30 lawmakers, including Government Chief Whip Ashok Pattan, are in the national capital to mount pressure on the Congress high command to approve a major reshuffle of Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/siddaramaiah">Siddaramaiah</a>’s Cabinet. Most of these MLAs are Siddaramaiah’s loyalists. </p><p>“They must maintain discipline. They must respect the party. They shouldn't damage the party before the media,” Shivakumar told reporters.</p><p>“Their future lies in the party, not the media. So, I appeal to all my MLAs...there’s nothing wrong with meeting party leaders. But we'll have to act if unnecessary statements are made,” he said. </p><p>Shivakumar said some of the MLAs met him before leaving for Delhi. “I told them there was nothing wrong with their demands. First-time MLAs, second-time MLAs...it’s not that they shouldn’t become ministers,” he said. </p><p>However, Shivakumar pointed out that the timing was not right. “This isn’t the time. Elections are still on. Some (party leaders) have been sent to Tamil Nadu. Let’s do the elections first,” he said.</p>.Congress MLAs to visit Delhi, demand Cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka.<p>Ministerial aspirants want a Cabinet reshuffle before May 15. On May 20, the Congress government will complete three years in office. Pattan and others argue that the party had assured them that the Cabinet would be reshuffled after two and a half years.</p><p>MLAs who are identified as Shivakumar's loyalists are also demanding ministerial berths. "There are 38 first-time MLAs who have urged the party that at least five of us should be given a chance as ministers," Mandya MLA Ravikumar Gowda (Ganiga), a first-time lawmaker himself, said. </p><p>Reacting to MLAs camping in Delhi, Home Minister G Parameshwara said the Congress high command "knows everything" and that a decision will be made at the right time. He added that senior ministers like himself will have to exit if the high command decided so. </p><p><strong>DKS meets Kharge</strong></p><p>Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. It is speculated that he urged the party top brass to first settle the leadership dispute between him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. </p><p>However, Shivakumar said he discussed the Tamil Nadu campaign with Kharge. "I was instructed to visit Tamil Nadu. I'll have to go again. I had to give (Kharge) a report. That's it," he said. </p>
