Visit to Delhi personal, not political, says DKS
Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday dismissed speculation that he might be lobbying for the top post
Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday dismissed speculation that he might be lobbying for the top post, saying he would follow chief minister Siddaramaiah’s lead amid renewed talk of a leadership change and cabinet reshuffle in the state.
“What is left to be said after the CM’s statement? We follow his word,” Shivakumar told reporters, referring to Siddaramaiah’s remark that he would complete his full five-year term if the Congress high command approved.
Shivakumar also clarified that his recent visit to Delhi was personal and not political, countering rumours that he had gone to meet the party leadership. “I went to pay my condolences to Congress Working Committee member Ambika Soni after the demise of her husband. She had come with Sonia Gandhiji to visit me when I was in Tihar jail. She treats me like a younger brother,” he said. “The public and media can discuss anything about my meeting with the high command; it doesn’t concern me.”
The deputy chief minister’s comments came as chief minister Siddaramaiah reiterated in Mangaluru that he would abide by the Congress high command’s decision regarding any Cabinet changes. “If the high command decides, I will complete my term,” Siddaramaiah said.
Home minister G Parameshwara, considered close to Siddaramaiah, also said that the Congress central leadership alone would determine any change in leadership or Cabinet composition. “Until and unless the party high command indicates, nobody knows, and the statements coming from legislators are irrelevant,” he said.
Parameshwara suggested that clarity might emerge after the Bihar election results, when both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are expected to meet the Congress leadership in Delhi. “At this moment, I have not heard anything from the high command. I think, after the Bihar election results, both the CM and Deputy CM will be going to Delhi, and something may come up,” he said.
He further clarified that no time frame had been set for Siddaramaiah’s tenure when he was chosen as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader following the party’s 2023 Assembly election victory.
“We were not told then that Siddaramaiah would be Chief Minister for only two-and-a-half years. The party high command did not fix any time frame,” Parameshwara said. “If the high command decides otherwise, we will accept it.”
He urged the Congress central leadership to end the ongoing uncertainty. “Siddaramaiah has said that he will remain CM for five years if the high command agrees. The high command must put an end to this confusion. They are aware of it. If needed, I too will request them to clarify,” he added.
Speculation about a possible leadership change, referred to by some Congress insiders as the “November revolution”, has intensified as the government nears the halfway mark of its five-year term. Parameshwara made the remarks after meeting Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, who said the meeting was unrelated to politics and concerned funding for a cooperative in Tumakuru.
On the growing debate about a Dalit chief minister in the event of a leadership change, Parameshwara said, “Is it wrong to make such a demand? If it is wrong, let us respond to it. People express their opinions.” He added that several capable leaders in the Congress could lead the state, but the final decision rested with the high command.
Mahadevappa said, “Has the CM said he will share power? He has said that if the high command decides, he will be CM for five years. The rest is speculation, and one cannot respond to speculation.”
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka predicted that a change in leadership was inevitable. “What BJP has been saying as the opposition party is true. November revolution is certain, change is definite,” he said in Bengaluru.
