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Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday dismissed speculation over differences within Congress following his meeting with the party leadership a day earlier, saying there was "no problem" and that everyone remained committed and loyal to the party despite aspirations for ministerial berths.
Addressing mediapersons, Shivakumar said that there was no problem within the party and that while the sentiments of a few senior leaders had to be respected, the party had only 33 seats. "There is no problem. Definitely, we have to respect the sentiments of a few seniors, but we have only 33 seats. I don't deny anyone's desire. All of us are committed and loyal to the party," he said. His remarks came a day after he met with Congress leadership amid discontent within the Karnataka unit over the recent Cabinet expansion and portfolio allocations. The meeting followed growing dissatisfaction among some senior Congress leaders who were left out of the expanded ministry. Earlier, amid the internal churn, Shivakumar and AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala visited senior Congress MLA M Krishnappa and Priya Krishna at their residence in Bengaluru. Addressing reporters after the meeting, Surjewala described Congress as a family and acknowledged that differences and grievances were natural. "We are all part of one family. In a family, there will be genuine concerns... It is our duty to speak to our family," Surjewala had said, adding that Krishnappa was one of the party's senior-most leaders. The developments come after the Cabinet expansion on August 3, following which several Congress leaders expressed disappointment over not being inducted into the ministry. On Wednesday, Raichur Rural MLA Basanagouda Daddal resigned as Chairman of the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, while Congress MLA Yashwanthrayagoud V Patil withdrew the resignation he had submitted a day earlier after being denied a ministerial berth. Several senior Congress leaders, including HK Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Shivanand Patil, RB Thimmapur, RV Deshpande, K Venkatesh, M Krishnappa, Tanveer Sait, Appaji Nadagouda and HC Mahadevappa, were left out of the expanded ministry, triggering discussions within the party over seniority, regional representation and community balance. Meanwhile, Shivakumar today inaugurated the Independence Day Lalbagh Flower Show in Bengaluru. The 10-day flower show, being held from August 6 to August 17, has been themed on the Ganga dynasty this year. "I am very happy to inaugurate the Flower Show at Lalbagh today. The flower show will be on for 10 days. This year's theme is the Ganga dynasty," Shivakumar said. He also said that the state government plans to develop three more Lalbagh gardens. "I am requesting the Defence Ministry. The Prime Minister has given his consent for one defence land. We have identified two more land pieces of the forest department," he added. (ANI)
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