Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Credit: DH Photo
On Friday, developments within the Karnataka Congress continued to draw attention as Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar responded to reports of CM change in the state. He was speaking on the backdrop of MLAs travelling to Delhi to meet Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge pressing for Shivakumar to replace Siddaramaiah as the CM of Karnataka.
Dismissing the suggestions that the visits were linked to ongoing speculation over a possible leadership change, the DyCM said, “all are eligible to go and meet their leaders. You can’t stop them, you can’t tell them no. Many are going with ministers, some with the Chief Minister. Who will stop them? No one will stop them”.
Echoing his deputy, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that there is no room for speculation in the matter of leadership change. He has asserted that it is the high command who will make the decisions regarding the reshuffle and none of them have heard anything about it and that as previously mentioned he will be presenting the next budget.
The CM says, "The high command does all the cabinet reshuffle. Did he say anything? Neither I nor anyone should hear what the high command said. DK Shivakumar, I and everyone has to listen to what the high command says...I will present the next budget myself, I will continue all the way, I will meet Mallikarjun Kharge tomorrow."
The team, Gubbi MLA SR Sriiinivas, Sringeri MLA TD Tajegowda, Kunigal MLA H Ranganath, Anekal MLA B Shivanna, Kudachi MLA Mahendra Kallapa Tammannavar and MLC C Ravi, met Kharge for ten minutes and reportedly reminded him of the alleged power shifting pact. One MLA said they told Kharge that Shivakumar, as KPCC president, had worked tirelessly to bring the party to power and deserved to be elevated.
According to sources, Kharge told the delegation that any decision on leadership or Cabinet reshuffle would be taken by Rahul Gandhi. He also had advised state leaders against repeatedly visiting Delhi with such demands, warning that it only fuels media speculation.
meanwhile, ministers Chaluvarayaswamy and Shivanand Patil, who were also in Delhi, maintained that their visit was purely official. Patil said he, too. had sought time with Kharge but would meet him when he visits Bengaluru on Saturday.