Karnataka Cabinet shake-up on cards, minority leaders eye a shot at power

Saleem Ahmed pointed out the longstanding underrepresentation of minority leaders from Kittur Karnataka in ministerial posts, hinting at possible regional balancing in the upcoming reshuffle.

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha Chief Whip Saleem Ahmed on Monday said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to carry out a cabinet reshuffle in December, most probably ahead of the winter session of the state legislature.

“Siddaramaiah will complete a successful two-and-a-half-year tenure as Chief Minister in November this year. Party leaders have always believed that after around two years, a cabinet reshuffle is necessary to inject fresh energy into the government,” he told reporters.

“The party may remove around 50 per cent of existing ministers and assign them to party work,” he added.

With local body elections, including zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat polls, on the horizon, the party needs to strengthen its organisation. For this purpose, some senior ministers may be asked to serve in the party structure, while the Chief Minister could induct new faces into the cabinet, Ahmed said.

He also highlighted regional representation, saying, “For the past two decades, ministerial positions were not given to minority leaders from the Kittur Karnataka region. Since I belong to this region, I hope Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will consider my name for a ministerial post.”