Parameshwara says ready to resign to make way for new faces

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: With voices emerging from within the party that ministers in the cabinet should be replaced with fresh faces after a while, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said he was ready to resign if the Congress party leadership asks him to do so.

He said that the party high command would take decisions at an appropriate time regarding the cabinet reshuffle and whether three more deputy chief ministers would be appointed.

"It's good, it is good that everyone should become minister, everyone should get an opportunity," the 72-year-old Parameshwara said about the reported demand by ministerial aspirants to change incumbents after 20 months of this government's tenure to make way for new faces.

Last week's dinner meeting at Parameshwara's residence, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa and PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi in attendance, triggered rumours that the home minister could be in the race to be CM.

Replying to a question on the demand from certain quarters that there should be three more deputy chief ministers in the state, he said it is left to the Congress high command to decide what position should be given to whom.

They will decide on it at an appropriate time, he said. There have been voices such as Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna who are pitching for three more DCMs in Karnataka ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Asked about the reported trip scheduled by PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi to Dubai along with 50 former and current legislators after Deepavali, which has led to speculations and the message it would send, Parameshwara said, "I don't know, let's see who all go and then we will get to know."

"If our legislators are going, we will have to then see what and why,'' he said.