K’taka Dy CM Shivakumar rejects reshuffle talk, says leaders survive only if party does
New Delhi, Nov 17 – Rumours swirling around a cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka were brushed aside early Thursday when Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president D.K. Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi that no reshuffle is on the cards.
Shivakumar was speaking after meeting with national Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, a routine affair for a state chief. “It’s normal for the state president to meet the national president,” he said. “Nothing special. We discussed party matters, office openings, trusts and other issues.”
When reporters pressed him on the murmurs, Shivakumar was firm: “No cabinet reshuffle. That’s not happening.” He added that the Congress party can survive without a reshuffle, recalling that the party has weathered previous splits.
Behind the scene, the mood is different. Party insiders tell us that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is eager to shake up the cabinet. Their reports suggest Siddaramaiah wants to assert his authority within the Congress ranks. Shivakumar, meanwhile, opposes any move that could destabilise the state government.
Earlier this morning, Siddaramaiah left Bengaluru for New Delhi accompanied by ministers H.C. Mahadevappa (Social Welfare), MLA A.S. Ponnanna (legal adviser) and senior MLA Ashok Pattan. The group’s heading was clear: meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then meet Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss cabinet matters.
The day also saw a tense meeting at Siddaramaiah’s home with former minister K.N. Rajanna, who had been sacked earlier this year after voicing doubts about Rahul Gandhi’s accusation of voter fraud. Rajanna, accompanied by Mahadevappa, used the 20‑minute encounter to plead for reinstatement, insisting he was loyal to the party’s ideology. Rajanna feels his removal will cost the Congress a complete loss in Tumakuru, his home district, and his supporters have begun staging events that do not display the party flag.
The two politicians now head to Delhi at different paces. While Siddaramaiah aims to re‑establish his control by pushing a reshuffle, Shivakumar stands against it and wants to keep the coalition intact. Their decisions will shape Karnataka’s future and could alter the political balance in the state and at the national level.
Keywords: cabinet reshuffle, D.K. Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, New Delhi, Karnataka politics, Congress party, Mallikarjun Kharge, Narendra Modi, Tankuru, K.N. Rajanna, Social Welfare Ministry, BJP, electoral strategy.
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