Addressing speculation pertaining to the Karnataka chief minister post and cabinet reshuffle, Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said Congress members have to listen to what the high command says, adding that he will meet Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday.
Several Congress MLAs who support Shivakumar met the party high command on Thursday amid rumours about a cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka. This comes as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah completes two-and-a-half years in office amid rumblings of a reported power-sharing agreement between him and DKS.
“Making a group is not in my blood. All 140 MLAs are my MLAs. The CM decided that he will reshuffle the govenment the cabinet. So, all of them are interested in becoming ministers. It is natural that they will go and meet the leaders in Delhi. Apart from that, what can I say? They have every right,” he told reporters.
“I have not taken anyone. Some of them went and met Kharge sahab. They met the CM also. What is wrong? It is their life. No one has called them, they are voluntarily going and showing their faces. They wanted to show their presence that they are in the forefront, can work and they want responsibility,” he added.
Defending the meeting, the deputy CM said, “All are eligible to go and meet their leaders. You can’t stop them, you can’t tell them no, because so many are going with ministers. Some of them are going with the CM. Who will stop them? No one will stop them.”