On the verge of reshuffling his cabinet, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said he was awaiting approval from the Congress high command for the move and sought an appointment with party leader Rahul Gandhi on the issue.
Responding to media queries about his visit to New Delhi amid talks on a cabinet reshuffle, he said he would be in the capital on November 15 to attend an event organized by former Union minister Kapil Sibal.
“I have asked for time from Rahul Gandhi. If he gives me time, I will go and talk to him,” he said at a press conference in Mysuru.
However, he expressed doubts about the conclusion of talks on a cabinet reshuffle during his visit on November 15, saying: “Most likely, if I do not get time from the high command, I will return on the same date.”
Apart from the statements of several ministers and Congress leaders, Siddaramaiah himself indicated that a reshuffle was on the horizon. Two posts in the cabinet are currently vacant due to the resignation of ministers KN Rajana and B Nagendra.
According to Congress sources, talks on the cabinet reshuffle are likely to take place after the Bihar Assembly election results on November 14. Recently, Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy said that the decision on the cabinet reshuffle is likely to be made by the end of November.
Responding to a question about the Delhi blast, Siddaramaiah said the Center should provide reasons for the attack. “Let the Center investigate,” he said, adding that the loss of innocent lives during the Red Fort blast was sad.
Story continues below this ad
On whether the Delhi blast will have an impact on the Bihar Assembly elections, Siddaramaiah said it will have a negative impact on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Karnataka Chief Minister said that a meeting will be held with Forest and Environment Minister Ishwar Khandre next week to discuss measures to prevent human-animal conflicts in areas around Mysuru.
Siddaramaiah said he was not satisfied with the official response from the forest department, which claimed that the increase in tiger and elephant numbers was contributing to the conflict in the state. He advised them to provide scientific reasons to address this issue.
(Tags for translation) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
