Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar's proposed meeting with Kharge, Rahul Gandhi raises eyebrows
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar's proposed meeting with the party high command has raised eyebrows in the political circle.
The two leaders are likely to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday evening, sources said.
Though Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have said that their Delhi visit pertained to their official work, their meeting with the top leaders assumes significance in the wake of ministers and MLAs indicating leadership change in the state and dissidence in the party.
The Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala is camping in Bengaluru and has been holding meetings with the ministers and MLAs to resolve their issues.
Surjewala on Tuesday declined to comment on the ongoing discussions regarding the leadership change in the state, suggesting that it is no longer pertinent and also indicated that such decisions rest with the party high command.
Though Surjewala ruled out gathering any opinion on leadership change, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said the Congress general secretary is setting the ground for the leadership change by November or December.
Despite strict directions to the party leaders not to discuss anything in public on the internal matters of the party and government, including the issue of leadership change, MLAs are vocal.
Some Congress MLAs are upset with the government. Kagwad MLA Raju Kage threatened to resign for lack of development in his constituency.
Aland MLAs B R Patil recently alleged corruption in housing scheme for poor families. Backing him, another Congress MLA Belur Gopal Krishna demanded that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan should resign.
Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna predicted a major development in September.
In the midst of Surjewala holding meetings with MLAs, CM Siddaramaiah asserted that he would complete his five years' term.
In response, some Congress MLAs, including Ramanagara legislator H A Iqbal Hussain from Shivakumar camp, insisted that they want their leader to become CM.
Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, not only asserted that he would toe the party line but also served a show-cause notice to his supporter MLA Hussain for his statement.
The Deputy Chief Minister and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former MP, have stated that the Chief Minister's post is not vacant.
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-a-half years in November 2025, but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
