There are talks regarding changing Karnataka Cong president, says Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said there are also talks regarding change in state Congress president along with the cabinet reshuffle, and it is for the party leadership to decide on these matters.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who has completed four years as president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), is currently on an extension in the post.
"State Congress president (Shivakumar) has gone to Delhi. I have come to know that the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) is also going today. There is a Congress working committee meeting tomorrow. They are going for that. After the meeting, I don't know whether they will discuss with the high command regarding the cabinet reshuffle," Parameshwara said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Along with that (cabinet reshuffle) we are also hearing talks about changing the state Congress president. So, on these two things, what decision the CM and the president will take in consultation with high command, I don't know."
While Siddaramaiah is leaving for the national capital this evening, Shivakumar is already there.
To a question on changing KPCC president, Parameshwara, who had earlier held the responsibility, said, he has only heard talks about it, but not sure it is at what stage.
"As there are talks regarding a cabinet reshuffle, there are also talks about changing the KPCC president. It is left to the high command. They will take a decision in consultation with the chief minister and incumbent president," he said.
Asked if his portfolio would be changed during the cabinet reshuffle, Parameshwara said, it is for the high command to decide.
"So far, I have abided by the high command's decisions and fulfilled the responsibilities they have given to me for the last 35 years. I'm ready to continue to do that," he added.
PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, who is seen as one of the contenders for the KPCC president post, on Wednesday said party presidentship is not an easy job. It is a difficult task and a responsibility to handle.
Speculations were rife about a possible cabinet reshuffle and evaluation of the performance of the ministers, ever since the Lok Sabha poll results. There has also been a demand from a section of MLAs, who are ministerial aspirants, to be inducted into the cabinet. Some have even openly expressed their wish to become ministers.
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Stalin accuses Centre of trying to use women's quota as 'weapon,' slams EPS over delimitation
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population.
"The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview.
"Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added.
Expressing apprehensions on the proposed delimitation exercise, the CM said it was the DMK that raised the first voice asserting the rights of the state after realising that Tamil Nadu would be affected by the proposed exercise. He also attacked his rival and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami over the delimitation issue.
Recalling efforts made by the DMK to raise the issue of population-based delimitation, he said an all-party meeting and a meeting of CMs under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee seeking fair delimitation were convened. It sought to freeze delimitation for 25 years and stick to it based on the 1971 Census population.
"We urged the union government that states which successfully implemented population control programmes must not be punished," he added.
The party came up with "Tamil Nadu poradum, Tamil Nadu vellum" (Tamil Nadu will struggle, Tamil Nadu will win) and this is DMK's stand, he said.
"However, Palaniswami, who is seeking votes for the entry of the BJP through the backdoor, has till date been mute over delimitation, and this is a betrayal of the people of Tamil Nadu."
