Bengaluru, Oct 13 (NationPress) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed the swirling rumors regarding the dinner gathering he hosted for his Cabinet Ministers in Bengaluru, questioning on Monday whether "sharing a meal with Cabinet Ministers is now deemed a serious offense."

He made these remarks to reporters after launching the Kittur festival torch before heading to Hubballi.

When asked about the dinner scheduled for his Cabinet Ministers that evening, the Chief Minister replied, "We occasionally dine together. Is it really a major offense to have a meal?"

In light of the recent transition in Chief Ministerial leadership within the state, Siddaramaiah is organizing a dinner meeting for his Cabinet Ministers in Bengaluru.

This development is particularly noteworthy given the ongoing speculation regarding leadership changes and rumors of a Cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka.

The dinner is set to take place at the Chief Minister's official residence, 'Cauvery', in Bengaluru at 7 p.m. on Monday.

CM Siddaramaiah has extended invitations to all his Cabinet Ministers, with several Ministers publicly confirming their attendance.

However, Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar has yet to comment on this development.

Interestingly, Shivakumar has canceled all his appointments for Monday, raising further speculation.

Party insiders suggest that the Deputy Chief Minister is expected to attend the dinner alongside Congress National General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala.

According to Congress party sources, Siddaramaiah has multiple objectives for this gathering.

Firstly, he aims to assert his control over the state party unit amidst claims from Shivakumar’s supporters about a potential leadership change in November, often referred to as a "November Revolution" within the Congress administration in Karnataka.

Secondly, he intends to communicate to Cabinet Ministers the necessity for "sacrifices" regarding their Cabinet positions in the interest of the party.

Moreover, Siddaramaiah faces the challenge of executing a Cabinet reshuffle without fostering animosity.

His faction is concerned that Ministers losing their posts might be swayed to join Shivakumar’s faction.

Thirdly, he plans to address issues raised by a letter from the Karnataka State Contractors' Association directed to him, which has also reached the Congress high command.

It is reported that the Chief Minister is taking this matter seriously, as the association has highlighted pressing concerns.

Siddaramaiah is likely to instruct the Minister in charge of the scrutinized departments to enhance processes and resolve outstanding issues.

Ministers from his faction have stated that the dinner is an opportunity for the Chief Minister to reconnect with them in a more casual environment.

Additionally, Siddaramaiah is expected to update Cabinet Ministers and Congress MLAs on the accomplishments of the guarantee schemes over the past two-and-a-half years and outline key decisions for the Congress-led government moving forward.

He will likely discuss the challenges the state government will encounter following the caste census, especially concerning significant changes in reservation and related matters.

Ultimately, Siddaramaiah aims to prepare key party leaders and Cabinet Ministers to tackle forthcoming political challenges while stressing the importance of unity and harmony following the Cabinet reshuffle.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the dinner meeting of being a means to instruct Cabinet Ministers to gather funds for the Bihar Assembly elections.

The BJP has alleged that the Congress is treating Karnataka as its ATM for the Bihar Assembly elections.