BENGALURU: The rebellion that erupted in Congress after formation of the Kumaraswamy ministry continued for the third day on Friday, prompting chief minister
HD Kumaraswamy to break all conventions and reach out to dissident former minister MB Patil for peace talks.
The Congress high command, which had allowed dissident activity to drift for two days, woke up to the situation and summoned MB Patil to New Delhi for talks.
Simultaneous meetings happening in the residences of M B Patil and former minister from North Karnataka HK Patil seemed to have rattled the party leadership. The meetings were backed by senior party MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa, CS Shivalli, MTB Nagaraj, K Sudhakar, NA Haris and BC Patil, besides former ministers R Roshan Baig and Ramalinga Reddy among others. The target of attack of all these people was Deputy CM G Parameshwara for having scuttled their political careers.
This prompted Kumaraswamy to dash to MB Patil's house in Sadashivanagar. "I know it is an internal matter of Congress and I have nothing to do with it. But I have met him as head of the coalition government. Patil is not alone and there are 15-20 MLAs with him. I will speak to the Congress high command to put an end to it at the earliest," Kumaraswamy told reporters.
Sources said MB Patil is a family friend of the Gowdas. "He went to meet Patil to tell him not to get upset and that everything would be set right," they added.
Patil said: "Kumaraswamy has nothing to do with our party matters. But when he said he was coming to meet me, could I say no? My only demand is that I should be made DyCM." He ruled out quitting the party if his demands are not met. "The Congress may have dumped me. But I will not dump the party."
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal telephoned HK Patil and reportedly assured him that he would be inducted into the cabinet. "Even if you give me an assurance, I am not sure if I will take it up now," sources quoting H K Patil said.
Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy, after two days of intense haggling with Congress, allocated portfolios on Friday.
While the chief minister retained the contentious energy department, his deputy G Parameshwara got home and Bengaluru development, along with sports and youth services. Kumaraswamy's brother HD Revanna, who was demanding energy, had to settle for PWD.
Congress's DK Shivakumar got water resources and medical education.
