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New Delhi: Amid swirling speculation about a potential leadership change in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has characterised the ongoing discussions about the Chief Minister's post as a "secret deal" involving a select few within the Congress party. He said that he is deliberately avoiding about the leadership change in the public discourse to protect the party's image.
Speaking to reporters in his home constituency of Kanakapura, Shivakumar, who also leads the Karnataka Congress, stated, "I don't want to discuss the CM change issue publicly," emphasising that it is a "secret deal" involving "four and five people" in the party.
He expressed his desire to avoid causing any "embarrassment" to Congress, asserting his belief in working with his conscience and prioritising the party's and party workers' welfare. "If the party is there, we are there. If ‘karyakartas’ are there, we are there," he declared.
Shivakumar also acknowledged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's position, calling him a "senior leader" and an "asset" to the party. He said that Siddaramaiah has already completed 7.5 years as Chief Minister, including his previous five-year term from 2013-2018.
“The chief minister (Siddaramaiah) has spoken. He is a senior leader, an asset for the party. He has completed 7.5 years as CM,” Shivakumar added.
When questioned about legislators backing him reportedly travelling to Delhi to advocate for his elevation to the Chief Minister's post, Shivakumar claimed ignorance, suggesting that these efforts might be aimed at securing ministerial positions.
He stated, "I have not telephoned or called any of them (legislators) or spoken to them. I don’t need it." This comes after reports of a group of six Congress legislators, reportedly supporting Shivakumar, travelling to Delhi on November 23 to meet senior party leaders, with more MLAs expected to follow. Last week, around ten legislators had also met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with a similar demand.
The internal power struggle has intensified as the state government approached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, fueling discussions about a supposed "power-sharing" agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar when the government was formed in 2023.
Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in Delhi, echoed Shivakumar's sentiment on keeping leadership discussions private. "This is not a subject to be discussed here and that too in public," Kharge told reporters in Delhi.
Despite the mounting pressure and internal manoeuvring, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has consistently maintained that he will serve the full five-year term and present future state budgets.
