Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (right), deputy DK Shivakumar (left) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
New Delhi: Congress and airport tarmac have a long history as in 1990 the then Congress chief Rajiv Gandhi dismissed Karnataka Chief Minister Veerendra Patil, a popular Lingayat leader at an airport, and also publicly rebuked at an airport the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister T. Anjaiah. The famous ‘Telugu atmagauravam” was inadvertently born out of an incident in 1982 when Rajiv Gandhi publicly reprimanded former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister T. Anjaiah at Begumpet airport. Similarly, Veerendra Patil, a tall Lingayat leader, was removed from the post of Karnataka Chief Minister at an airport by then Congress chief Rajiv Gandhi.
Now, the memories of the Congress leadership decision taken at the tarmac has once again come to the fore as Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha on the tarmac of Mysuru airport giving a fresh buzz if the party leadership would take any similar decision. Shivakumar, who had been waiting patiently for Rahul Gandhi to arrive, went to meet him first after his chopper touched down. Siddaramaiah, who was also present at the site, followed later after five minutes and all three had a detailed discussion.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier held meetings with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar on January 13 amid the power tussle in the southern state; the latter once again met the Congress leadership on the sidelines of the Assam senior observers’ meeting, sources said. Shivakumar, who has been one of the strongest contenders for chief ministerial post in Karnataka has been in talks with the party leadership for the top post.
Sources said that Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Tamil Nadu, had a brief meeting with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at Mysuru airport on January 13. The former Congress chief discussed the state issues with both leaders. According to sources, during the brief meeting at the airport, the Chief Minister brought up the issue of cabinet reshuffling pending in the state to which the Leader of Opposition responded that he will discuss it with them in Delhi. When Shivakumar raised his demands, sources said Rahul Gandhi responded that the matter would be taken care of. However, both the Deputy Chief Minister and the party leadership have maintained silence on what was discussed at the tarmac.
However, Shivakumar, who arrived in the national capital on January 16 afternoon for Assam senior observers meeting, was able to meet Rahul Gandhi. The party insiders indicated that Shivakumar, who also holds the post of Karnataka state unit chief discussed the state leadership issue. However, he was not given assurance on the rotational chief minister formula, the source claimed.
Following his meeting with Rahul Gandhi at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence, Shivakumar left along with other leaders but returned after a few minutes. He then met Kharge over dinner to discuss the Karnataka issue further.
Even party insiders indicated that Siddaramaiah after meeting Rahul Gandhi at Mysuru Airport had opened that the party leadership should clear its stand on the Chief Ministerial post as there has been so much confusion.
Sources also said that Shivakumar will be returning to the national capital on Saturday night to hold discussions with the party leadership. He will be staying in the national capital on Sunday and sources indicated that many of his loyalist can also come to Delhi to keep his side.
Meanwhile, sources in the party have already clarified that the matter of Karnataka is with the top leadership of Congress and a decision will only be taken by Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi after consultation.
On Friday evening, before meeting Sivakumar, Rahul Gandhi also met Karnataka Minister KJ George for over 40 minutes and is learnt to have been briefed about the current situation in the state. Rahul Gandhi had a detailed discussion with George for over 40 minutes at 10 Janpath to understand the politics in the state and how things have been unfolding there in the past few months.
The Congress-led Karnataka government had completed two and half years in November last year, and the two top leaders are in power tussle over the rotational chief minister formula, a claim on which party leadership has maintained silence.
