30 Karnataka Congress MLAs arrive in Delhi, demand cabinet reshuffle; 38 first-time MLAs also sought 5 ministerial berths

As many as 30 of the 40 senior Karnataka Congress MLAs who have been demanding a cabinet reshuffle reached Delhi on Sunday. Here they will meet the party high command and demand a cabinet reshuffle and a chance for new faces. Around 40 MLAs, who have become MLAs more than three times, are demanding that the current ministers have got about three years' time, so now senior MLAs should be given a chance. At the same time, 38 first-time Congress MLAs have also become active. He has written a letter to the party leadership demanding that at least 5 new MLAs be made ministers. Mandya MLA Ravikumar Gowda said new faces should also get a chance. A total of 34 ministers, including the chief minister, have been approved in Karnataka. At present, two ministerial posts are already vacant. One of the posts fell vacant after the resignation of B Nagendra, who was accused of mismanagement in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation. The second post fell vacant after the removal of K N Rajanna on the directions of the party high command. In such a situation, the MLAs are demanding that these posts be filled and there should be a comprehensive reshuffle. The leaders who reached Delhi include several MLAs, including T B Jayachandra, Ashok Pattan, SN Narayanaswamy, Puttaranga Shetty and Belur Gopal Krishna. The leaders will meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Randeep Singh Surjewala and, if possible, Rahul Gandhi. Karnataka Congress MLA Ashok Pattan said that at the time of portfolio distribution, Randeep Surjewala had assured to give a chance to all, but some people became ministers for the fourth time. The MLAs are not blackmailing anyone, but reminding the party leadership of their old promise. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also said on Thursday that if the Chief Minister has hinted at a change, then it is natural for every MLA to aspire to become a minister or chief minister. He had said - there is nothing wrong in this. Everyone can try. The turmoil in the Karnataka Congress has intensified at a time when there is a leadership tussle within the party. The alleged power-sharing formula was discussed between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar when the government was formed in 2023. Now that the government is approaching the middle stage of its tenure, speculation of a change of leadership has also intensified. According to party sources, Siddaramaiah is in favour of a cabinet reshuffle, while Shivakumar wants a decision on the leadership reshuffle to be taken first. There is also talk in political circles that if the high command approves the cabinet reshuffle, it could be assumed to be an indication that Siddaramaiah will complete his five-year term. This could affect Shivakumar's chances of becoming the chief minister. What is the rotation formula? There was a fierce competition between the two leaders after the 2023 assembly elections. At that time, there was talk of a two-and-a-half-year rotation formula, according to which Shivakumar could have become the CM after 2.5 years, but the Congress never officially accepted it. December 2: Siddaramaiah had said that DK Shivakumar will become the CM when the high command says, there is no difference of opinion between us. He said this on the question 'When will Shivakumar be made the CM'. "There is no difference of opinion between us and the two are running the state government unitedly," Siddaramaiah said.