Bantwal: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar met senior Congress leader and former Union minister B Janardhana Poojary at his residence in Bantwal on Friday, during his visit to the coastal region for the historic special Cabinet meeting held in Mangaluru.
Shivakumar took time out of his busy schedule to meet the veteran Congress leader and enquire about him. The meeting came at a significant moment as the state government held its special Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru, the first such meeting of the Karnataka Cabinet in the coastal city.
Shivakumar seeks Poojary’s blessings
Sharing details of the meeting, Shivakumar said he was happy to have had the opportunity to meet Poojary on the occasion of the historic Cabinet meeting.
The Chief Minister said meeting the senior leader and seeking his blessings at such an important moment brought him immense happiness.
The interaction also brought together two generations of Congress leadership from Karnataka, with Poojary having served in national politics as a former Union minister and Shivakumar currently heading the state government.
According to reports, the meeting lasted around 10 minutes. Shivakumar enquired about Poojary’s health and discussed various matters with the veteran leader. Poojary also honoured Shivakumar by draping a shawl over him, following which the Chief Minister posed for photographs with Poojary and his family.
Earlier meeting recalled
The meeting also recalled an earlier interaction between the two Congress leaders. Shivakumar had met Poojary in February this year when he was serving as Deputy Chief Minister.
During that meeting, Poojary had wished Shivakumar success in his work and expressed his hope that the Congress leader would bring pride to Karnataka.
With Shivakumar now serving as Chief Minister, his visit to Poojary’s residence during the special Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru carried added significance.
Congress leaders accompany Chief Minister
Several Congress leaders were also present during the interaction. Minister U T Khader, former minister B Ramanath Rai, Dakshina Kannada District Congress president R Padmaraj, and party leaders Mithun Rai and Inayat Ali were among those present.
The meeting took place amid a busy schedule for Shivakumar in the coastal region, where the state government held its special Cabinet meeting and announced a series of decisions concerning Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and the wider coastal and Malnad regions.
The Cabinet meeting included discussions and decisions on infrastructure, tourism, fisheries, language and regional development. The government also announced major allocations for projects in the coastal region.
For the Congress organisation in Dakshina Kannada, Poojary remains a senior figure with a long political career, while Shivakumar’s meeting with him provided an opportunity to acknowledge the veteran leader during an important government event in the region.
The Chief Minister’s visit thus formed a notable part of his engagements in Mangaluru and Dakshina Kannada during the special Cabinet meeting.
