Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar speak to the media after second round of breakfast meeting amid leadership tussle in the state, in Bengaluru
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: Just hours after breakfast with his deputy DK Shivakumar, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made a cryptic, but lucid remark that nothing was permanent in politics during a candid chat caught on hot mics on Tuesday.
"I've never taken to worrying too much. Let's see what happens. Is politics my father's property? Politics isn't permanent," Siddaramaiah was heard and seen saying to Congress MLA Belur Gopalakrishna while leaving the Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday afternoon.
Siddaramaiah's remarks, which were made as if he wanted news cameras to capture them, led to speculation in political circles that he was indirectly trying to send a message to the Congress high command, which is adjudicating on his tenure.
Gopalakrishna, the Sagar MLA, clarified that Siddaramaiah's remarks were casual. "I asked him how his breakfast at Shivakumar's was. He said it was good and asked me about my colourful dress. I said I aspired to be happy like him. That's when he made those casual remarks," he said.
On Tuesday, Siddaramiah was hosted by D K Shivakumar for breakfast. Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh, a former MP, and Kunigal MLA Dr HD Ranganath also joined the breakfast meet. Last Saturday, Siddaramaiah hosted Shivakumar for breakfast.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have maintained that they will abide by the party's decision on their leadership tussle.
Meanwhile, Home Minister G Parameshwara termed the breakfast meeting between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar as a "nice development" and hoped that all issues were settled. "All we want is a peaceful settlement of whatever transpired over the month or so," he said.
Parameshwara himself is a chief ministerial candidate. Asked about demands that he should become the CM, Parameshwara said: "Different people have different aspirations. I don't think it's wrong. It's natural for people wanting to see their own leaders (as CM) and express their aspirations."
CM gets Mysuru style nonveg breakfast
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a Mysuru native, was treated to a breakfast that had naati koli (country chicken) curry with idlis at his deputy DK Shivakumar's residence on Tuesday.
"I gave him a Mysuru breakfast," Shivakumar said. Siddaramaiah pointed out that Shivakumar's wife was from Mysuru. "When I hosted Shivakumar for breakfast, I got a vegetarian breakfast prepared," Siddaramaiah said referring to idli and upma that Shivakumar had last Saturday.
"Shivakumar is a vegetarian and I'm a non-vegetarian. I asked Shivakumar to get chicken from the countryside. Here, we don't get original country chickens," Siddaramaiah said.