Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy to meet PM Modi today

Newly elected Karnataka Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday in the national capital.

Kumaraswamy will meet the Prime Minister for the first time after taking over as the Chief Minister of the JDS-Congress coalition government in Karnataka.
He will also visit Raj Ghat in the afternoon to pay tribute to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

After returning to Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy is expected to extend his Cabinet ministry.Congress' Karnataka in-charge KC Venugopal while talking to ANI said a bilateral discussion is going on between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) and added that within one or two days it will be finalised.

"It will be sorted out within one or two days. After finalisation of the portfolio, immediately we will go for expansion," Venugopal said.

When asked about party president Rahul Gandhi's absence from India, Venugopal said it would not affect the cabinet expansion much as he is continuously available over the phone.

"Karnataka leaders and I are discussing with Janata Dal (Secular). When it will be finalised from our side, then only it will reach the leadership. That is the procedure. Rahul Gandhi is available on phone," he said.

Earlier on Sunday, taking a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rahul Gandhi urged social media trollers not to get "worked up" as he is going to accompany his mother Sonia Gandhi abroad for an annual medical check-up and will be back soon.

The Congress president, who will be leaving tonight along with her mother, took to Twitter and said, "Will be out of India for a few days, accompanying Sonia Ji to her annual medical checkup. To my friends in the BJP social media troll army: don't get too worked up...I'll be back soon!"

On the other hand, Kumaraswamy quoted controversy on Sunday after he asserted that he became the chief minister due to Congress party and not because of the people's mandate.

Kumaraswamy, while talking to media here, said he had asked for a clear mandate from the people but was now indebted to the Congress leaders.

"It is not my independent government. I asked the people of Karnataka for a clear mandate to do their bidding. But now, I am here indebted to the Congress leaders. I am not here because of mandate from state's 6 crore population," Kumaraswamy said.

(ANI)