Cong high command will decide whatever it is: Kharge on CM change in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): As speculation around chief minister change in Karnataka refuses to die down, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said that the party high command will decide whatever it is, and he has nothing to say now.
The AICC chief stated this, a day after his more than an hour long meeting with chief minister Siddaramaiah here.
"I have nothing to say about the developments that have happened. So you (media) standing here is a waste of your time and I too feel bad. Whatever it is, the high command will do it. There is no need for you to worry more about it," Kharge told reporters outside his residence here.
Meanwhile, opposition BJP leaders took a dig at Kharge and Congress party following his statement.
Senior BJP MLA Suresh Kumar in a post on ‘X’ asked, "If Congress Party National President is NOT the High Command, then who else! It is really ridiculous".
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly R Ashoka said, the helplessness in Kharge's statement shows his real status in the Congress party.
"The fake Gandhis who have made Kharge the national president just for name sake, by keeping all the power with themselves are insulting a senior politician like Kharge," he posted on ‘X’.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified, amid speculations about chief minister change in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
Speaking to reporters last night, after meeting Kharge, second such meeting between the two in less than a week, Siddaramaiah, while responding to a question regarding clarity about his tenure as the CM had said, he will abide by whatever the high command decides, and everyone also should.
He however had termed the buzz around leadership change as speculation and media creation.
The CM's meeting with the AICC chief had come after some MLAs supporting Shivakumar travelled to Delhi and met Kharge, as the Congress government completed 2.5 years in office.
Shivakumar however had said he was not aware of legislators travelling to Delhi to meet Kharge.
On Sunday, Ministers H C Mahadevappa and K Venkatesh, considered close to CM Siddaramaiah, met Kharge at his residence.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Kharge, Mahadevappa said, there is no situation for CM change now, and in case such a situation arises, the Congress high command will decide.
Stating that it was a courtesy call with Kharge, he said, during the meeting, organising the party and preparing it for the upcoming local body polls were discussed.
Asked about discussion on leadership change, Dalit CM and cabinet reshuffle with Kharge, the minister said, "None of them were discussed...there is no race for CM post."
Asserting that there is no question of leadership change before the party, as Siddaramaiah, who is holding the CM position is working effectively, he said, "If such a situation arises, the high command will take a decision, but such a situation is not there right now."
Mahadevappa also ruled out on any signature campaign in the party to gather opinion on CM change. "No one has called or contacted us so far."
"Congress will complete its full term and will come back to power in 2028. The CM will be there till 2028 and complete the term," he added.
While Siddaramaiah is pushing for a reshuffle of his Cabinet, Shivakumar wants the party to first decide on leadership change, party sources said.
According to several party insiders, if the Congress high command approves the cabinet reshuffle, it would signal that the incumbent chief minister Siddaramaiah will complete the full five years term, which will scuttle the chances of Shivakumar from occupying the coveted post.
There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May 2023, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy CM.
There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years, but they were not officially confirmed by the party.
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'Warm and engaging atmosphere reigned', Shashi Tharoor on Putin banquet
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who on Friday attended a banquet for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, on Saturday described the atmosphere there as "warm" and "engaging", and said he enjoyed his conversations with many of the attendees.
Tharoo’s remarks came a day after President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet for the visiting Russian president at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
“Attended the @rashtrapatibhvn banquet for President Putin last night. A warm and engaging atmosphere reigned. Enjoyed my conversations with many of the attendees, especially my dining companions from the Russian delegation!" Tharoor said in a social media post.
Murmu, while welcoming President Putin and his delegation at the banquet, had said that his visit marked an important milestone -- the 25th anniversary of the India-Russia strategic partnership, which was established in October 2000 during his first visit to the country as president.
Murmu also appreciated Putin's support and personal commitment to the India-Russia special and privileged strategic partnership.
The Congress on Friday said that the leaders of the opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, were not invited to the banquet, and took a swipe at Tharoor for accepting the invite.
The party’s media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera, accused the government of breaking protocols daily and not believing in democratic principles.
“There is no invite to both the LoPs, Mr (Mallikarjun) Kharge and Mr (Rahul) Gandhi. This comes as a surprise, but I don't think we should be surprised. This government is known to be breaching all protocols. What else to say, ask the government,” Khera said on Friday.
Asked about Tharoor accepting the invite for the banquet, Khera said, "Ask Mr Tharoor. All of us who are in the party, if our leaders don't get invited and we get invited, we need to question our own conscience and listen to our conscience. Politics has been played in inviting or not inviting people, which in itself is questionable, and those who accept such an invite are also questionable."
“We would have listened to our voice of conscience,” he added.
Earlier, Tharoor had said that there was a time when the chairman of the external affairs committee was routinely invited, but that practice seems to have stopped some years ago.
On Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government tells visiting foreign dignitaries not to meet the leader of opposition due to its "insecurity".
His remarks came hours ahead of Putin's two-day visit to India.
