Gehlot vs Pilot: After Selja, Shivakumar calls on Raj CM

A day after Congress' Haryana unit chief Kumari Selja made a surprise visit to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and had a long discussion with him, triggering speculations of a cabinet reshuffle in the state, party's Karnataka unit chief D.K. Shivakumar met him on Tuesday, creating curiosity among the ruling party cadre.
Shivakumar reached here at around 1.30 p.m. in a chartered plane and went to Gehlot's residence. He had a discussion with him for half an hour and went to Delhi thereafter.

Addressing the media, Shivakumar said: "I am on a personal tour and have not come here with any message for anyone nor have come with any special agenda. There is nothing special to be discussed on Karnataka, Rajasthan and the centre but personal work."

However, Gehlot's subsequent meetings with veteran leaders close to Gandhi family has raised many eyebrows in the state as there has been an air around regarding the change in organisational and cabinet structure.

Sources said that Gehlot is keen on cabinet expansion while the high command wants a cabinet reshuffle as many MLAs, during one-on-one interaction with party state in charge Ajay Maken complained about poor working of ministers.

Friction between two Congress groups in Rajasthan, led by Gehlot and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, continues making the news while senior leaders including General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Maken, and Selja have been meeting the CM to resolve the impasse.-IANS