Ministers often visit Delhi citing ‘official purpose’ but meet Congress central leaders

Karnataka Congress Ministers frequent Delhi to meet party leaders, discuss political issues, and secure their positions in the Cabinet.

Ministers in Karnataka seem to have become Delhi yatris. One after another, Ministers keep visiting the national capital to meet All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders of the party.

Though Ministers often term these visits as “courtesy call” or cite “official purposes” as the reason, sources in the Congress said Ministers largely spend time discussing political issues with central leaders.

KPCC chief and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has visited Delhi more than once in the recent past. During the latest visit, he participated in the meeting of the party’s district presidents attended by Mr. Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretaries. The KPCC chief also often goes to Delhi to discuss his cases pending in the court, sources said.

Knowing well that Mr. Shivakumar has close ties with members of the Gandhi family, Ministers loyal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have reportedly appealed to him to visit Delhi frequently to keep the top brass in good humour.

Interestingly, though Mr. Kharge was available in Bengaluru during the weekends, Minister for Public Works Satish Jarkoholi and Forest and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre were in Delhi a couple of days ago, and called on the AICC president and other central leaders. Apparently, they briefed them about political developments in the State that occurred during the Budget session of the State legislature.

As the Congress is split into factions led by Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar, the Ministers seem to be not only appraising the central leaders about Karnataka’s developments — such as honey-trap cases raised by Minister K.N. Rajanna in the House and gold smuggling case involving the stepdaughter of an IPS officer — but are also apparently demonstrating their loyalty to the high command to ensure a safe berth in the Cabinet in the event of a change of Chief Minister or a reshuffle of the ministry.

A couple of days ago, during his talks with Mr. Kharge, Mr. Jarkiholi was believed to have pressed for the replacement of Mr. Shivakumar as KPCC president ahead elections to local bodies in rural and urban areas.