Siddaramaiah hosts dinner banquet, reviews departments

Bengaluru, DHNS: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a banquet for his Cabinet colleagues on Monday evening where he is said to have informally taken stock of his government’s performance.

Siddaramaiah hosted ministers at Kaveri, his official residence.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar attended Siddaramaiah’s banquet, making it a show of unity amid their power struggle. The banquet also came amid speculation over a Cabinet reshuffle.

“CM had casual discussions with ministers on their portfolios,” Labour Minister Santosh Lad said. Another minister said CM asked about progress in various departments, including implementation of programmes announced in the budget.

According to Transport & Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Siddaramaiah discussed the upcoming elections to five new municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the Zilla-Taluk Panchayats. “We’re expecting GBA polls before March next year,” Reddy said.

Reddy also ruled out buzz that Siddaramaiah discussed Cabinet reshuffle over dinner.