Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwar has cancelled his visit to the US to attend a global warming convention following instructions from the Congress high command. This follows swift political developments taking place with regard to the possible arrest of Water Resources and Medical Education Minister D.K. Shivakumar in a disproportionate assets case and the ‘rebellion’ by Municipal Administration Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, and his brother Satish Jarkiholi Dr Parameshwar and former CM Siddaramaiah are considered the top two Congress leaders in the state (veteran, Mallikarjun Kharge is more focused on national politics) and the Deputy CM was scheduled to fly to the US on Tuesday to take part in the Global Climate Action Summit to be held in San Francisco.
The Congress top brass however feels Dr Parameshwar should be present in Bengaluru to handle any tough situation which may arise and more so when the ruling coalition’s Coordination Committee chairman Siddaramaiah is on a foreign jaunt. Leaders in Delhi fear a possible threat to the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in case Mr Shivakumar is arrested or the Jarkiholi brothers decide to break away after being snubbed by senior Congress leaders during the PID Bank fiasco in Belagavi and want Dr Parameshwar to defuse any such crisis. Not the ones to let go of an opportunity, state BJP leaders are working silently to woo the disgruntled Congress legislators to their side. Already, senior BJP leaders are said to be in constant touch with the Jarkiholi brothers.
