Former chief minister Siddaramaiah is at his ‘dinner diplomacy’ again. On Wednesday evening he hosted a dinner at his official residence “Cauvery” for all Congress ministers in the coalition government.
The official take is that Siddaramaiah hosted the dinner in the wake of he being appointed as member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party.
However, insiders see it as a move to reassert his position in the party. Siddaramaiah is keen on developing a rapport with the ministers ahead of the LS polls. Sources said Siddaramaiah discussed preparations for the Lok Sabha polls with the ministers. Besides, he is keen on sending a message that it is he who can pull the strings in the coalition government rather than Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.
Siddaramaiah dons three caps of influence – CWC member, chairman of the coordination and monitoring committee in the coalition alliance and Congress Legislature party leader.
In July, Siddaramaiah hosted a dinner for ministers after his return from the nature cure centre near Dharamshala and it was seen by political observers as yet another power game.