Dinner meeting of Ministers hosted by Satish Jarkiholi when Shivakumar is away raises eyebrows

Dinner meeting of Dalit Ministers in Bengaluru discusses political issues, concerns about Deputy CM Shivakumar's dominance, and party activities.

A dinner meeting attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and four Dalit Ministers in Bengaluru on Thursday apparently discussed various political issues, including what some called the “dominance” of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in conducting party activities and his “interference” in works of other departments, specifically in the Home Department.

However, Minister for Public Works Satish Jarkiholi, who hosted the dinner, insisted that there was no need to give political colour to a New Year get-together.

The meeting, held at a time when Mr. Shivakumar is touring Turkey, was attended by Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa, Home Minister G. Parameshwara and Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna, among others.

It is learnt that Mr. Shivakumar single-handedly managing the celebrations held in December to mark the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the Congress session in Belagavi and his alleged “direction” to the Belagavi police with regard to the arrest of BJP MLC C.T. Ravi — following the alleged use of a derogatory remark against Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar — have not gone down well with the Ministers, particularly Dr. Parameshwara and Mr. Jarkiholi. Ministers and Belagavi local leaders felt that they had been left out by Mr. Shivakumar, and it appeared that they conveyed their feelings to the Chief Minister at the dinner meeting.

It was being speculated that Ministers have been putting pressure on the Chief Minister to apprise the party high command of the necessity of having a full-time KPCC president. Ministers have been advocating “one man, one post” and a few Ministers such as Mr. Jarkiholi and Mr. Rajanna have been eying the post of the KPCC president. During the formation of the Congress government in 2023, the AICC announced that Mr. Shivakuamar would hold the KPCC chief’s post till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Amid speculation of a change of leadership in the government this year, Mr. Mahadevappa told reporters that Mr. Siddaramaiah would continue in the post for the rest of the term.

Mr Jarkiholi, who is also in charge of the Belagavi district, downplayed the meeting. He said there was no need to give political significance to it. He said some Ministers could not make it to the dinner hosted by him as they were touring or were preoccupied.