Pro-Shivakumar slogans greet KC Venugopal in Mangaluru amid power tussle in Karnataka
Mangaluru (PTI): The unease within the Karnataka Congress over the alleged power-sharing pact between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar came to the fore when AICC general secretary K C Venugopal was greeted with pro-Shivakumar slogans at the city airport on Wednesday.
Venugopal arrived in Mangaluru to attend the centenary commemoration of the historic Narayana Guru-Mahatma Gandhi dialogue, an event organised by Mangaluru University and attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, cabinet ministers and senior Congress leaders.
A group of party workers raised slogans expressing support for Shivakumar as Venugopal exited the terminal.
Following Siddaramaiah's arrival here, his supporters countered with slogans like 'Siddu, Siddu, Poornaavadhi Siddu' (Full term CM Siddaramaiah).
The incident comes amid speculations that the Congress high command may revisit the reported internal understanding that Shivakumar would take over as Chief Minister mid-term—a claim repeatedly denied by the party but kept alive by sections within the state unit.
Speaking to reporters, Mithun Rai, a leader of the pro-Shivakumar group, insisted that there were “no rival camps” within the party, but acknowledged that many workers “would be happy to see D K Shivakumar become the Chief Minister.”
He described the slogan-shouting as an expression of “natural affection” for the Deputy CM among grassroots cadres.
The Congress in Karnataka has been facing recurring questions over leadership transition since the assembly election victory in 2023.
While both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have publicly maintained that the government is united, recent statements by their supporters—including MLAs openly batting for Shivakumar's elevation—have kept the debate alive.
Last week, Siddaramaiah dismissed talks of a change in leadership in the state as “baseless speculation,” while Shivakumar reiterated that his focus was on strengthening the party and delivering on governance.
The high command has also attempted to downplay the issue, saying the government is stable and functioning smoothly.
However, the Mangaluru episode is being viewed as another indication of simmering sentiment among a section of party workers, particularly those identified with Shivakumar’s organisational influence in the state.
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Madras HC seeks I-T report in Udhayanidhi Stalin poll affidavit 'discrepancies' case
Chennai (PTI): The Madras High Court on Wednesday sought a report from the Income Tax Department on the alleged discrepancies in the poll affidavits filed by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin seeking re-election from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni assembly constituency in Chennai.
A division bench of Chief Justice S A Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan sought a status report from the Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, while hearing a plea from R Kumaravel of Chennai, seeking a probe into the assets declared by Udhayanidhi as a candidate in his election affidavit.
The bench posted the case to April 20 for further hearing.
The petitioner from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency, had alleged that there were discrepancies between the property details mentioned in the affidavit accompanying the nomination paper filed by the deputy chief minister in 2026 and the property details filed and the particulars mentioned in the affidavit for the 2021 polls.
A comparative analysis showed the "disappearance" of over Rs 7 crore in investments, Kumaravel claimed and sought a direction to the Election Commission of India and the returning officer for the constituency to verify the financial disclosures, sources of income, transactions and statutory filings made by Udhayanidhi.
Elections to the 234 Assembly constituencies spread across Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23.
