BENGALURU: Deputy chief minister and KPCC president D K Shivakumar on Wednesday created a strong buzz of “Operation Hastha” in political circles by announcing that on November 15 the next round of “admissions” from opposition parties to the Congress will happen.
Speaking to the media in Delhi, where he met the Congress high command, Shivakumar said: “The media is speaking of other party people joining the Congress.I have an appointment card with me which says that the next round of admissions to our party will happen on November 15.”
On being asked as to who these people were, and whether they included sitting MLAs from other parties, Shivakumar said he will reveal the names on November 14 evening.
The statement was made by the deputy CM after he was quizzed over statements by chief minister Siddaramaiah earlier this week speaking of BJP and JD(S) leaders joining the Congress.
“It is true, I will not deny it. That is why I am saying that admissions will happen on the 15th,” a smiling Shivakumar said.
The statement by Shivakumar comes in the wake of JD(S) leaders meeting in Hassan and a loyalty pledge being supposedly taken by the regional party first family from its 18 of 19 MLAs who were present.
“I do not understand what was the reason for the JD(S) leaders to take a unity test. Why have they come to this state?” said Shivakumar.
On the BJP claims of several Congress leaders likely to quit the party and speculations are that several of the ruling party MLAs met BJP leaders in Maharashtra and other places, Shivakumar dismissed them and said the saffron unit was itself in a state of confusion with none knowing what is happening within their own party.
“The BJP is in such a precarious situation that it cannot decide its own opposition leader. Just to create some buzz, and trying to be in the news for their personal gains, a few former MLAs and leaders are creating this noise and confusion. Not a single MLA is going to leave the Congress and BJP does not have that strength to lure them,” he said.
On his visit to PWD minister Satish Jarkiholi’s home, amid speculations of crisis in the party, Shivakumar said he was the “head” of a family as KPCC president and no one can question his efforts to go and meet his family members.
“As the head of a family, I meet a lot of my leaders. For instance, I go and meet transport minister R Ramalinga Reddy or home minister G Parameshwara, even if he says he will come and meet me. There is literally no space in my home to meet them in peace. There is no truth to rumors of factionalism within the Congress. There is one CM and one KPCC president, who has been given the post of a DCM,” he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to Shivakumar statement, former two time CM and JD(S) floor leader H D Kumaraswamy was gung-ho in his attitude and said: “Let us see on November 15 on whether our MLAs will go to the Congress or a section of Congress will leave their party.”
‘No proposal of cabinet reshuffle anytime soon’
Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday dismissed any speculations of a cabinet reshuffle ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and after the five state elections.
“There is no such proposal or consideration before the party or government to reshuffle the cabinet,” he said.
Shivakumar, however, said that there will be a change in the KPCC office bearers posts.
“People like Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi and Eshwar Khandre are already under pressure to deal with their own departments and are unable to provide time towards the party work. As a result, we are looking to bring fresh faces to work for the party,” said the KPCC president.
He, however, declined to say who these faces were and whether it has been discussed with the party high command.
Shivakumar said the party leadership has already held a couple of rounds of discussions with regard to the appointments to the boards and corporations and a final decision will be taken post November 15.
Speaking to the media in Delhi, where he met the Congress high command, Shivakumar said: “The media is speaking of other party people joining the Congress.I have an appointment card with me which says that the next round of admissions to our party will happen on November 15.”
On being asked as to who these people were, and whether they included sitting MLAs from other parties, Shivakumar said he will reveal the names on November 14 evening.
The statement was made by the deputy CM after he was quizzed over statements by chief minister Siddaramaiah earlier this week speaking of BJP and JD(S) leaders joining the Congress.
“It is true, I will not deny it. That is why I am saying that admissions will happen on the 15th,” a smiling Shivakumar said.
The statement by Shivakumar comes in the wake of JD(S) leaders meeting in Hassan and a loyalty pledge being supposedly taken by the regional party first family from its 18 of 19 MLAs who were present.
“I do not understand what was the reason for the JD(S) leaders to take a unity test. Why have they come to this state?” said Shivakumar.
On the BJP claims of several Congress leaders likely to quit the party and speculations are that several of the ruling party MLAs met BJP leaders in Maharashtra and other places, Shivakumar dismissed them and said the saffron unit was itself in a state of confusion with none knowing what is happening within their own party.
“The BJP is in such a precarious situation that it cannot decide its own opposition leader. Just to create some buzz, and trying to be in the news for their personal gains, a few former MLAs and leaders are creating this noise and confusion. Not a single MLA is going to leave the Congress and BJP does not have that strength to lure them,” he said.
On his visit to PWD minister Satish Jarkiholi’s home, amid speculations of crisis in the party, Shivakumar said he was the “head” of a family as KPCC president and no one can question his efforts to go and meet his family members.
“As the head of a family, I meet a lot of my leaders. For instance, I go and meet transport minister R Ramalinga Reddy or home minister G Parameshwara, even if he says he will come and meet me. There is literally no space in my home to meet them in peace. There is no truth to rumors of factionalism within the Congress. There is one CM and one KPCC president, who has been given the post of a DCM,” he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to Shivakumar statement, former two time CM and JD(S) floor leader H D Kumaraswamy was gung-ho in his attitude and said: “Let us see on November 15 on whether our MLAs will go to the Congress or a section of Congress will leave their party.”
‘No proposal of cabinet reshuffle anytime soon’
Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday dismissed any speculations of a cabinet reshuffle ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and after the five state elections.
“There is no such proposal or consideration before the party or government to reshuffle the cabinet,” he said.
Shivakumar, however, said that there will be a change in the KPCC office bearers posts.
“People like Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi and Eshwar Khandre are already under pressure to deal with their own departments and are unable to provide time towards the party work. As a result, we are looking to bring fresh faces to work for the party,” said the KPCC president.
He, however, declined to say who these faces were and whether it has been discussed with the party high command.
Shivakumar said the party leadership has already held a couple of rounds of discussions with regard to the appointments to the boards and corporations and a final decision will be taken post November 15.