Bengaluru, May 29 In a significant development, Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D. K. Shivakumar has strongly objected to the transfer of certain officials without his knowledge or consent, sources said.
Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, has written a letter to the Chief Secretary protesting the transfers and issuing a stern warning, the sources said.
The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), which falls under the purview of CM Siddaramaiah, issued an order transferring five chief engineers.
In his letter, Shivakumar pointed out that he had clearly stated in a note to the Chief Secretary after the formation of the government that any transfers, recruitments, or decisions related to departments under his charge must be brought to his attention and executed only with his consent.
He further stated that the DPAR could issue such orders only after securing his approval. However, he has now learned that some chief engineers were transferred without his consent.
Shivakumar strongly objected to what he termed the violation of his instructions and asked the Chief Secretary to revoke the transfer order.
He also made it clear that in the future, no decisions related to his portfolio should be taken without his explicit consent, the sources confirmed.
The development has sparked a debate in Karnataka's political circles, with many viewing it as a sign of worsening relations between CM Siddaramaiah and Dy CM Shivakumar.
Commenting on the matter, Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra said on Thursday, the state is headed toward a major political shift.
"All these developments are just the beginning. These are events leading up to the climax. CM Siddaramaiah himself has gone to the residence of MLC B.K. Hariprasad - watch the events that will unfold in the coming days," he remarked.
CM Siddaramaiah visited Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad's residence on Thursday morning for a meeting. Hariprasad had previously criticised Siddaramaiah and maintained a distance from him for a long time.
The sources said Siddaramaiah is now attempting to reconcile with senior Congress leaders who are hostile to him and bring them to his side to consolidate his position against Deputy CM Shivakumar.
However, talking to the media, CM Siddaramaiah and Hariprasad maintained that they spoke about general matters and Mangaluru situation during their meeting.
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