- Amid cabinet reshuffle buzz, DK Shivakumar said there is nothing wrong with having aspirations
- "Those who work hard for the party will all have aspirations," he said
- Shivakumar, on leadership change speculations, said, "Consult an astrologer to predict that"
"What is wrong with having aspirations?" was Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's response when asked about several Congress legislators openly expressing their desire to be included in the state cabinet. Downplaying the talks of a leadership change in the state, he said the question should be asked of an astrologer.
"What's wrong with MLAs and MLCs having aspirations? The Chief Minister has the option of making MLAs and MLCs ministers. Those who work hard for the party will all have aspirations. Can we say it's wrong? They would have struggled for the party, made sacrifices and worked hard, so what's wrong with having aspirations?" he said.
His remarks come amid speculation over a possible cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka.
The buzz was fuelled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's meeting with Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in Delhi on Saturday. He also met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge this evening.
When Shivakumar, who returned to Bengaluru from Delhi this evening after meeting Kharge, was again asked about the possibility of a leadership change, he said, "Consult an astrologer to predict cabinet expansion or leadership change".
There has been ongoing speculation about a potential change in the chief ministership when the Congress government reaches the halfway mark of its five-year term in November, which some have dubbed the "November revolution," citing an alleged power-sharing agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah has said that the party leadership had asked him to carry out the exercise four to five months ago, but he had insisted on the government completing 2.5 years in office.
On Sunday, Shivakumar dismissed rumours of his resignation as the Congress Karnataka unit chief, saying he is a "disciplined soldier" of the party.
He said he was in Delhi to invite Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to the foundation-laying ceremony for 100 new Congress offices in Karnataka.
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