Bengaluru, 8 Jan

Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said a dinner meeting of Congress leaders, ministers, and lawmakers from SC/ST communities, scheduled for the evening, had to be postponed following instructions from AICC General Secretary in-charge of the state, Randeep Singh Surjewala, as he wanted to attend it.

The meeting was intended as a preparatory discussion for an SC/ST convention aimed at consolidating community support for the party. Parameshwara said he has now invited Surjewala to join the meeting whenever it is rescheduled and clarified that there was no political motive behind the meeting, nor was there anything to hide.

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This development follows Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s recent dinner with select Dalit and ST Cabinet colleagues, which created a buzz within the ruling Congress amid speculation about a possible change of guard in the state after March, under a "rotational chief minister" or "power-sharing" formula.

The postponement was due to Surjewala’s inability to attend immediately. "Since the AICC General Secretary requested a temporary postponement, we have obliged. The meeting is not cancelled but will be rescheduled," Parameshwara clarified, adding that the participation of a high-command representative would be beneficial.

A section within the Congress feels that the SC/ST convention and Parameshwara’s dinner meeting could revive the demand for a Dalit or AHINDA (a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) leader to become the next chief minister. This could complicate Shivakumar’s prospects if Siddaramaiah steps down after the state budget, as speculated. –PTI