Ktaka Congress leadership shuffle? Kharge leaves it to high command amid whispers of change
Recent visits and statements from party leaders like Randeep Surjewala and MLA H A Iqbal Hussain have fueled rumors of a shift in power by October, possibly installing Shivakumar as Chief Minister.
K'taka Congress leadership shuffle? Kharge leaves it to high command amid whispers of change
New Delhi: Speculation over a potential leadership change in Karnataka's Congress government has intensified, with diverse statements coming from the party leadership.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stopped short of directly denying the possibility of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah being replaced by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Kharge pointedly deflected the question to the party high command, indicating that any decision related to the leadership change, in a Congress-run state, rests solely with them.
"That is in the hands of the high command, nobody can say here what is going on in the high command. This is left to the high command; they have the power to take further action, but unnecessarily, one should not create a problem," Kharge said while speaking to the reporters.
This uncertainty of any possible change in the Karnataka Congress follows a visit to Bengaluru by Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala. His visit ignited discussions about a potential overhaul of the Karnataka Congress. Political observers predict that the state will witness a change around October this year.
The discussions further intensified when a Karnataka Congress MLA, H A Iqbal Hussain, publicly claimed that Shivakumar could become Chief Minister within the next two to three months. Highlighting the role of Shivakumar in the grand old party's election victory, Hussain suggested that the Congress high command is aware of the situation, which he didn't disclose, and will eventually allow Shivakumar to lead the party. "Yes, I’m saying it. The date some leaders are hinting at for revolutionary political developments after September, this is what they are talking about. A decision will be made within two to three months."
Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna echoed Hussain's "revolutionary" comment, further fueling speculation of possible change. The ongoing buzz is rooted in a rumoured power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, an agreement that was previously downplayed by the party high command.