Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharg in the city on Monday during discussions on a possible reshuffle in the Karnataka government. According to PTI sources, Siddaramaiah is likely to visit Kharge at his residence in the evening.
While Congress leaders have described it as a courtesy meeting, sources suggest that Siddaramaiah may also raise the issue of cabinet expansion in the state.
A “power-sharing” agreement?
Political circles in Karnataka, especially the ruling Congress, have been speculating for some time about a possible change in the post of chief minister, pointing to a “power-sharing” deal involving Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, who serves as the state Congress president.
Shivakumar, however, denied any plans to resign from his post, saying he “remains a disciplined soldier of the party”. He met the Congress leadership on Sunday.
His remarks came amid speculation of a potential leadership and cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka following Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Saturday. Shivakumar emphasized that the decision regarding the reshuffle rests entirely with Siddaramaiah and will be done in consultation with the party high command.
Siddaramaiah is also scheduled to meet the Prime Minister during his visit to Delhi.
During the meeting, the chief minister is expected to raise the issue of sugarcane farmers as well as pending approval of the Mahadayi and Mekedatu water projects, according to official sources.
On November 6, Siddaramaiah wrote to the Prime Minister asking for a meeting to discuss the issue of sugarcane farmers amid protests demanding a higher price ₹3,500 per ton of their output.
In the letter, he noted that the root of the problem lies in the central policy levers: the Fair and Reward (FRP) formula, stagnant Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar, export restrictions and underutilized ethanol extraction from sugar-based feedstocks.
