Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
An undated letter reportedly signed by 31 first-time Congress lawmakers demanding at least five cabinet berths during the proposed reshuffle emerged on Monday even as the Congress government grapples with an internal leadership crisis.
The letter, believed to have been written last year, has been confirmed as authentic by several lawmakers who signed it.
It was addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala.
The letter was signed by lawmakers who identify with both the chief minister’s and deputy chief minister’s camps, as well as those considered neutral.
While the idea of a cabinet reshuffle is apparently being pushed by the chief minister to send a signal that he is firmly in the saddle, the deputy chief minister, who is seeking rotation of power, is believed to be against the idea. Currently, out of the 34 berths in the cabinet, two are vacant due to the resignation of B. Nagendra and KN Rajanna.
The letter pointed out that 38 premier legislators were elected on the Congress ticket and said that none of them were accommodated during the formation of the cabinet. The letter asked the cabinet to place “young, dynamic and proactive” first-time legislators. It said the responsiveness of their legislators is not new as several states have first-time legislators becoming chief ministers and cabinet ministers and a mix of young and experienced always provides the right balance.
“We are all firmly attached to the ideology of the Congress and strive to ensure a clean, transparent and credible governance that will enable us to return to power in 2028,” it said.
Dalit CM idea floated by opposition: Home Minister
Home Minister G. Parameshwara said that the Opposition was dealing with the Dalit Chief Minister issue to cover up its own shortcomings.
“Isn’t the chief minister running the administration? He has been discussing budget preparation with ministers and officials for the last 12 days,” he said, adding that the opposition was unnecessarily raising the issue of the Dalit chief minister.
“Only the Congress can make a Dalit chief minister. Who else? The high command will take a decision at the right time,” he said.
Interestingly, Social Affairs Minister HC Mahadevappa on Sunday raised the issue of making a Dalit leader the Chief Minister, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also said in his remark on Sunday that only the Congress can do it.
Published – 24 Feb 2026 0:32 IST
