Bengaluru
DK Shivakumar used his maiden visit to New Delhi as Karnataka Chief Minister to open discussions with the Congress leadership on two issues that are already creating friction within the party: dissatisfaction with ministerial portfolios and filling 20 vacant ministerial posts.
Arriving in the capital from Bengaluru on Wednesday, Shivakumar met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with senior party leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and KC Venugopal. According to party leaders, the talks focused on alleviating discontent over the distribution of ministerial portfolios and preparing for the expected government expansion after the end of the Legislative Council elections on June 18.
The consultations come at a time when several ministers have privately expressed their dissatisfaction with the departments assigned to them. Among them is Krishna Bair Gowda, who was in Delhi to present his case before senior party leaders. He sought a review of his portfolio and argued that authority over key civic institutions in Bengaluru should be placed under his administration, people familiar with the discussions said.
Bair Gowda, who is yet to formally take charge of the ministry, emphasized that responsibility for infrastructure and urban development challenges in Bengaluru cannot be separated from control over agencies overseeing planning approvals, land development and urban expansion.
Bair Gowda conveyed the same stance to Shivakumar, Surjewala and other senior Congress figures, including Rahul Gandhi, the leaders participating in the consultations said. He argued that the administration would have limited practical power without oversight of the civic bodies that make up much of Bengaluru’s urban planning and development.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Minister MP Patel said there was no division within the party. “Did Bair Gowda say there is a problem? Whatever matters are being discussed will be resolved by the party,” he added.
At the same time, pressure is growing within the ruling party regarding expanding the government. Senior legislators, former ministers and new MLAs are seeking for the first time to join the ministry, and several aspirants have traveled to Delhi to lobby the party leadership.
Yathindra Siddaramaiah in an interview with HT said that the Cabinet expansion will take place after the MLC and Rajya Sabha elections. Discussions with the senior leadership included the possibility of filling all 20 remaining ministerial positions in a single operation.
Party leaders said considerations such as regional representation, class balance and seniority are expected to influence the final composition. The leadership also considered whether more space should be given to newcomers, perhaps at the expense of some figures who had previously served in the Siddaramaiah government, they added.
While initial consultations have been completed, the final list of ministers is expected to be settled only after another round of meetings. According to people familiar with the talks, the Congress leadership advised Shivakumar to proceed cautiously to avoid reigniting tensions that had already emerged in the debate over allocation of ministerial portfolios.
During his visit, Shivakumar also stopped at the All India Congress Committee headquarters as well as the offices of NSUI, Youth Congress and All India Women’s Congress. He is scheduled to attend a dinner with senior IAS officials and participate in the NITI Aayog meeting before returning to Bengaluru after further consultations with party leaders.
