Siddaramaiah goes into damage control mode as discontent grows post Cabinet reshuffle

Bengaluru: As sulking MLAs and dropped ministers stepped up their criticism of the major ministry revamp and openly discussed about leadership change, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today went into a damage control mode to quell the growing resentment.

Siddaramaiah met senior ministers to chalk out a strategy to control growing discontent after the June 19 major rejig which saw 14 ministers being shown the door and 13 others being inducted.

Congress sources said the chief minister made phone calls to disgruntled MLAs in an attempt to pacify them.

"There is no discontent among us, I'm talking to every one... Such things are common whenever there is cabinet reshuffle. I'm talking to all those who have expressed displeasure," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

He added: "I'm personally talking to all those people who have displeasure. All those reports about displeasure at the MLAs level are false. There are no groups or difference of opinion among us."

Siddaramaiah's move comes in the wake of a few "like- minded" party legislators deciding to meet either on Sunday or Monday to plan their next course of action, keeping the option open of pressing for leadership change.

A series of meetings are being held for the past couple of days by several dropped ministers and ministerial berth aspirants after Siddaramaiah carried out the revamp to improve the party's image with two years left for Assembly polls.