New Delhi,
The cabinet expansion of DK Shivakumar-led government in Karnataka has been postponed for few days due to sudden travel of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to Bengaluru on Thursday despite the southern state leadership met with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state unit president BK Hariprasad, who all had arrived in the national capital late last night, had first met party general secretary and state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala seperately at his residence earlier in the day and held a detailed discussion.
According to party sources, after their meeting with Surjewala, all the leaders then arrived at the residence of Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath to hold discussions with Rahul Gandhi.
But due to sudden travel plan of Kharge to Bengaluru, the cabinet expansion decision was postponed for next few days.
Speaking to the media about the same, Hariprasad said, “We have just discussed a few matters.
“Apart from that, the Congress National President (Mallikarjun Kharge) has gone to Bengaluru. It has been postponed for a day or two. We will be informed when discussions resume,” he added.
Meanwhile, Surjewala said that the Chief Minister, former Chief Minister and state president had met me first and then we went to meet Rahul Gandhi.
He said that all the three leaders had met with Rahul Gandhi separately and in next few days the cabinet expansion will be done in Karnataka.
He also said that all the rest of the cabinet berths will be filled in a one go.
When asked if the expansion of cabinet will be completed before the assembly session in the state commencing on August 6, he said it can be done before that.
A party source said that the all 20 cabinet berths, one speaker post and one each council chairman and deputy chairman post will be filled in the same process.
The source also said that in the cabinet expansion the party will focus on caste and regional balance in the state and can give ministerial berth to senior as well as young leaders to have a balance in the cabinet.
The source also said that all the Karnataka leaders also met Congress General Secretary Organisation KC Venugopal in the evening at his residence to discuss the cabinet related matters.
Another source indicated that Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and Hariprasad all have learnt to give the list of probable ministers to be included in the cabinet and that will be finalised by Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in the coming days.