Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 5: Minister, D K Shivakumar, who is said to be aspiring to become chief minister of the state one day, invited all his ministerial colleagues for breakfast meeting at his official residence at Crescent Road here on Thursday October 4. The fact that he had kept out chairman of the coordination committee of the government has raised several eyebrows.

All the ministers, except minister for municipal administration, Ramesh Jarkiholi, were present. It is gathered that Jarkiholi could not attend the meeting as he was on a visit to Mumbai and that he had called Shivakumar to say that he would support whatever decision the meeting takes.

While Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president, Ishwar Khandre, was present, KPCC president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, who had returned from his foreign trip on Thursday morning, could not make it, it is learnt. There have been discussions about the reason Siddaramaiah was kept out of this meeting. Sources said that Siddaramaiah was not invited to the meeting.

Shivakumar, who played a stellar role in the formation of the coalition government, continues to back Kumaraswamy solidly although the two were at loggerheads in the past. Reports say that Shivakumar, who has an eye on the chair of the chief minister, does not like the clout Siddaramaiah wields with the national leadership of the party. Therefore, some analysts believe that this meeting was held as a show of his strength.

Shivakumar, who has been booked for certain offences by the enforcement directorate, is under pressure and this development has also been affecting his political ambitions. It is believed that he wants to take the ministerial colleagues into confidence to reinforce his stature.

The presence of deputy chief minister, Dr G Parameshwar, and senior minister, R V Deshpande, gave the message that important leaders of the party are with him, it is said.