Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar in Delhi, likely to discuss cabinet expansion

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar arrived here on Wednesday, and are likely to meet the top Congress leadership to discuss cabinet expansion in the state.

Shivakumar landed in the national capital in the evenning, while Siddaramaiah arrived later.

After landing here, Shivakumar told reporters that it was a "normal routine visit" and that he will meet senior party leaders to discuss issues concerning the state.

"We have to finish our cabinet (expansion) as early as possible. That is in process. My chief minister is also coming," he said.

He said they will meet the top leadership including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

Rejecting rumours of a rift within the party, Shivakumar said, "As the party president (Karnataka), I am telling you that nothing is there, no internal issues are there.'

On being asked about supporters of Congress MLA D Sudhakar staging a protest outside Siddaramaiah's house, Shivakumar said, "(It's) quite natural. All of the workers (of the party) want to become ministers."

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were sworn in as chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively, along with eight ministers on May 20. Portfolios have not been allocated to the ministers yet.

The party high command approved the first list of eight ministers against the earlier plan of inducting a much higher number of legislators into the cabinet.

According to Congress sources, this was done as differences emerged between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar over some names during discussions held last week in Delhi ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

Karnataka can have a maximum of 34 ministers, and the Congress will find it difficult to accommodate all the aspirants.