With the power tussle in Karnataka between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, D.K. Shivakumar going on for months, the latter, looking to occupy the CM’s chair, managed to have a meeting with the Congress high command in Delhi during his three-day visit. The meeting was courtesy Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. It is learnt that he has asked the leadership to sort the matter at the earliest.
Shivakumar arrived in the national capital to attend the Assam meeting called by Screening Committee chairperson Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Sources said that after the Assam meeting on Wednesday, Shivakumar, who is also the state unit chief, asked for a separate meeting with her, which took place at Indira Bhawan. A source said that during the meeting, Shivakumar requested her to have a meeting with Rahul Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar on Thursday evening met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary (organisation), K.C. Venugopal separately.
A day later, Shivakumar met Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath when a meeting with Assam senior observer Bhupesh Baghel and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was called. It is learnt that Shivakumar spoke to Rahul Gandhi on the Karnataka power tussle.
Sources said that during the meetings with Kharge and Venugopal separately, Shivakumar told them the Congress government has completed two and a half years and asked how many more days they should wait. Party insiders said that Shivakumar, during the meeting, also pointed out that as a loyal party worker, he has remained committed to the high command’s word.
“You had assured that you would call and speak on January 22 itself,” the source said, quoting Shivakumar, adding that then the date kept getting postponed to January 27 and then February 2, all of which did not take place as Siddaramaiah called a session of the Assembly on MGNREGA.
The source said that Shivakumar, citing the session and budget preparation, said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been distancing himself from discussions. The source said that Shivakumar also made it clear that in March, the Assembly and Parliament sessions will begin again and by then, elections in five states may get announced.
“That is why stories are being built around budget preparation and legislators’ foreign trips,” the source said.
Shivakumar, in the meeting, the source claimed, said: “You must take note of all this and, if possible, hold discussions by the end of this month.”
The source said that Shivakumar also made it clear that he is the only one who has to remain committed to the high command.
The source further claimed that Shivakumar also said that more than a hundred MLAs and ministers were with him and, if necessary, the central leadership may verify this.
However, the conversation that happened between Rahul Gandhi and Shivakumar is yet to be disclosed.
Meanwhile, another party source said that the party high command is likely to call a meeting with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in the coming days.
Following the reports of Shivakumar in Delhi with Rahul Gandhi and Kharge over the power tussle, even Karnataka Home Minister G. Parmeshwara said enough is enough and the party high command should end the speculation over the top post in the southern state.
“I hope that the party’s top brass is watching all of this. At the appropriate time, I will speak to the high command in this regard. Enough is enough, this must stop. People are watching us…their expectations are different. We should focus on development,” Parameshwara said in Bengaluru.
Parameshwara said the high command knows what has to be done and when. The Home Minister said, “Our president Kharge has gone to the extent of saying that everyone should keep their mouths shut. He cannot be stricter… Despite this, leaders and legislators are commenting on it (the leadership issue), which is not appropriate. This must stop.”
The Congress, in the 2023 Assembly polls, came back to power with over 136 seats in the state Assembly.
