'Politics won't take place before media': D K Shivakumar tells ministers staking claim for KPCC chief's post

Snubbing Co-Operation Minister K N Rajanna and PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi for expressing desire to became Congress state unit president, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday politics will not take place in front of media.

Shivakumar, who is also Congress state unit president, told media persons that it was not  good to leaders to speak to media on party affairs.

"It doesn’t benefit any politician or political party to discuss politics before the media," Shivakumar said.

Both Rajanna and Satish Jarkiholi, considered as close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, have expressed their willingness to take the responsibility of the KPCC president post if Shivakumar quit the post as per one person one post policy.

Shivakumar, who was aspiring to become the CM, was reluctant to quit the KPCC post. With the Zilla Panchayats and Taluk Panchayats elections were  due, Shivakumar keen on continuing both the DCM as well as KPCC president, sources in Congress said.

Replying to queries on his meeting with AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Shivakumar said, “I met him to discuss the modalities of the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi assuming AICC Presidency. Dec 28 is the Congress Foundation Day. I discussed details pertaining to that as well. More than 300 party leaders are participating in this programme. We would like to host this event. He has promised to discuss this in the Congress Working Committee and let us know about it.”