Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday reached Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's residence 'Kaveri' for a breakfast meeting intended to break the logjam over the leadership issue.

While Siddaramaiah has been asserting that he has got a mandate to remain as the chief minister for a full five-year term, Shivakumar has indicated that he was promised that he will be made the CM after two-and-half years on a rotational basis.

The issue of change of leadership had been going on for the past two months but intensified after November 20 when the Congress government completed two-and-half years.

The Congress high command on Friday intervened and asked the two leaders to resolve the issue by talking to each other.

Accordingly, Siddaramaiah on Friday invited his deputy to come home for a breakfast meeting.

Before leaving for the CM's residence, Shivakumar declined to comment and said he would speak after coming out of Siddaramaiah's residence.

 

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Kolkata (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Sunday conducted raids at the premises of Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas and a local businessman as part of a money laundering probe against an alleged criminal and his linked syndicate in the poll-bound state, officials said.

Two premises of Biswas, including his residence in Ballygunge area and one location of the businessman named Joy Kamdar, Managing Director of a company named Sun Enterprise, have been raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kamdar has been taken by the officials to the local ED office for questioning. Biswas, chief coordinator and nodal officer of the West Bengal and Kolkata Police welfare committee, was not present at his premises, they said.

The action is linked to a money laundering case against an alleged local criminal named Biswajit Podder alias Sona Pappu, who is booked in multiple cases on charges of attempted murder and extortion.

The federal probe agency had conducted the first round of searches in this case on April 1.

The ED had then seized cash of Rs 1.47 crore apart from gold jewellery and silver valued at Rs 67.64 lakh and a country-made revolver from some premises that were searched.

The probe stems from a Kolkata Police FIR against against Podder for his alleged involvement in rioting, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and Arms Act violations. The accused, including Podder, were engaged in organised criminal syndicate activities in the state of West Bengal and generated funds illegally by way of syndicate operations, the ED said in a statement on April 9.

Podder is also wanted by the police in a case of violence in Kankulia road near Golpark of Kolkata and is currently on the run.

The ED has issued summons to Podder but he has failed to join the investigation so far, according to the agency.

West Bengal will have a two phase poll on April 23 and April 29.