Don’t politicise ministers' dinner meet, says Shivakumar

New Delhi: Refusing to attach importance to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s dinner meeting with his cabinet colleagues, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said that such meetings are common in politics and no need to read too much into it.

“It is common for politicians to attend dinner meets. I also organise dinner meets frequently. The media should not politicise the dinner meeting. I had travelled abroad with the family as I had not travelled with them for the last 4-5 years,” he said speaking to reporters.

He was replying to questions on potential political motive behind Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s dinner meet while the DCM was out of the country.

“Many other ministers also were travelling abroad. Those who were in Bengaluru have attended the dinner meet, there is nothing wrong in it,” he added.

When pointed out to demands for Cabinet reshuffle and change in KPCC presidency, he said, “No such discussions took place in the meeting. The media is misinformed. The cabinet reshuffle is a prerogative of the CM and he will talk about it.”

This was the first reaction by Shivakumar about PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi hoisting a dinner meeting last week at Bengaluru, which was attended by Siddaramaiah, select cabinet ministers and legislators.

Jarkiholi, who was eyeing for the State Congress President post, also several times strongly argued for appointing new state unit president and creating more Deputy Chief Ministers post in the state instead of only one post.

Since the event happened in the absence of Shivakumar, who was abroad, rumours started making rounds that the dinner was being hosted to discuss the next Congress president in Karnataka. Shivakumar has been holding the Congress state president post since March, 2020.

It was learnt that in the meeting, several legislators urged Siddaramaiah to continue in the CM and favoured for creating four more Deputy Chief Minister posts and appointing new state unit president.