New Delhi, DHNS: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and sought a free hand in inducting new faces to his council of ministers to speed up development as well as improve the party's prospects in the coming Assembly elections.

Siddaramaiah, who met Sonia along with Karnataka Pradesh Congress (KPCC) president G Parameshwara and AICC?General Secretary incharge of Karnataka Digvijaya Singh, is learnt to have told her that he should be allowed to induct 15 new faces and drop as many ‘non performing’ ministers.

CM confident

While explaining his intention to provide representation to all the districts and castes in the new ministry, the chief minister said he was confident of bringing the party back to power in the next assembly polls in 2018, Congress sources said.

Siddaramaiah also requested Sonia to appoint a new KPCC president at the earliest as the term of Parameshwara had ended a year ago.

Sonia, who heard the chief minister patiently, reportedly expressed her unhappiness over the party’s poor performance in the recent elections including just concluded legislative council polls, sources said.

A hectic day

9 am: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah meets his close confidants and cabinet colleagues.
9.30 am: A group of MPs submits to Siddaramaiah a list of MLAs to be inducted as ministers
10 am: Siddaramaiah meets AICC?General SecretaryDigvijaya Singh
12 pm: Meeting of senior Congress leaders Oscar Fernandes and Mallikarjun Kharge
12.30 pm: Kharge meets Congress president Sonia Gandhi
4 pm: Siddaramaiah, Parameshwara, Digvijaya Singh meet Sonia and Rahul Gandhi
5.30 pm: Siddaramaiah holds meeting with Parameshwara at Karnataka Bhavan
6.30 pm: Parameshwara meets Kharge at his residence
7 pm: Kharge meets senior Congress leader A K Antony
9 pm: Siddaramaiah has dinner meeting with Oscar Fernandes at a hotel