Bengaluru, April 17 (NationPress) The Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and President of the State Congress, D.K. Shivakumar, on Friday downplayed his meeting with Satish Jarkiholi, a close aide to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister.

The Karnataka Congress is currently facing criticism regarding the actions taken against minority leaders, which has led to swift developments within the party.

Jarkiholi and Shivakumar convened at the Deputy CM's government residence in Kumara Park, Bengaluru, on Friday morning for discussions.

According to insiders, during the Cabinet meeting, a faction of ministers expressed their discontent with the decision to take action against two minority MLCs, arguing it could alienate the Muslim community from the Congress party. Conversely, another faction supported the proposed actions. This backdrop has rendered the meeting between Shivakumar and Jarkiholi particularly noteworthy.

In response to inquiries regarding his discussion with Jarkiholi, Deputy CM Shivakumar remarked, “We talked about party matters and strategies for collaboration.”

He added, “Naturally, he is our leader, and our goal is to work unitedly. We aim to reclaim power in the 2028 elections. I assure you—the Congress party will regain its position in Karnataka. I am absolutely certain of this.”

“Minister Satish and I are both from the same party. We also deliberated on ways to manage the influx of vehicles entering Bengaluru. There are traffic jams lasting approximately 30 minutes on the road from Nelamangala to Goraguntepalya. I proposed several solutions regarding this matter. We discussed potential actions to alleviate traffic congestion before the NICE Junction and how to curtail the number of vehicles entering the city,” Shivakumar stated.

When questioned about the Delhi visit by senior MLAs and the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle, he responded, “We cannot discuss that right now; our priority is to see the election process through. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and I are set to travel to Delhi for the ‘Bricks to Bengaluru’ event, where representatives from various companies, ambassadors, and distinguished guests will be in attendance. The IT and BT Ministry is organizing this event, and we will represent our state.”

Sources within Congress indicate that Shivakumar is not in favor of a Cabinet reshuffle as it could allow Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to maintain his position. Nonetheless, Siddaramaiah's camp has ensured that several senior MLAs have traveled to Delhi to meet with national leaders to advocate for a Cabinet reshuffle.

K.N. Rajanna and B. Nagendra, who lost their Cabinet positions, are known to be close to CM Siddaramaiah. MLCs Abdul Jabbar and Naseer Ahmad, who also lost their party roles, share similar ties with the CM.

Forest, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre, when asked about the developments, remarked, “Congress leaders will ultimately decide on internal issues.”

He mentioned that he left the Cabinet meeting early and was unaware of the specifics discussed. He characterized the matter as an internal party issue and asserted that the high command would render a suitable decision.

“All of this will be managed by our senior leaders. While I may be a senior member, the decision-making authority rests with the high command. The Chief Minister and the KPCC president will collaborate to make decisions that benefit the party,” he concluded.