Bangalore: Chief minister is meeting B.Sriramulu, now MLA, more often to reduce tensions in a by-poll from state legislative Assembly to the council, which can extend DVS Gowda’s tenure as CM by an year and a half.
The more Sriramulu whips up hatred and anger against BJP leaders, the CM is there to douse the fire and prevent smoke-screens.
On Monday, the two men met like long-lost brothers and had a tete-a-tete for all to see and wonder.
But Gowda is not afraid of CCTV or a camera, when he smiles and shakes hands with former Health Minister.
Watching them, the estranged Congress leader DK Shivkumar, butted in by saying, “Be friends if you so wish, and if needed make Sriramulu a minister again, like Renukacharya, but do not pull us onto a wrong path”, he observed jokingly.
Sadananda Gowda on hearing the left-handed compliment, replied that all 224 MLAs in the Assembly are “my friends and I always think well of them. Even if you come closer to me, I will extend the same affection to you”.
But Siddaramaiah, who has an eye on CM’s seat, intervened to say, “Personally we like you, but on matters of principle, we strongly oppose you”, and pulled the curtain down on the political show.