Three years on, DKS looks to Congress high command as tussle with Siddaramaiah for CM post continues

NEW DELHI: As the Karnataka government completed three years in office, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday refuted fresh speculation over a tussle between him and chief minister Siddaramaiah, and said they would go to Delhi whenever called by the party high command.

Also read: After Kerala, Karnataka becomes Congress’s next leadership challenge

Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said the Congress government in Karnataka had provided good governance.

“In political circles, three years have passed and we have provided good governance. Whatever we promised, we have delivered. Even the University of Oxford has examined our guarantees. The central government, the BJP and various political parties in the country have taken note of our guarantees, acknowledged them, and some have even followed them. We have implemented these guarantees for the upliftment of the poor, helping them move from darkness to light,” Shivakumar said.





“I don’t want to discuss anything. Whenever our party high command asks us to go to Delhi, we will definitely go. Because the chief minister is also keeping many things in mind in the interest of the state. We are currently discussing various issues. Our GBA election has also been announced by the court and has to be completed by August 31. We will address this properly, and our plan of action will be ready,” he added.

The remarks came a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge held discussions with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar amid renewed speculation over the leadership issue.

Also read: Siddaramaiah, 77, is now oldest serving chief minister

According to news agency Press Trust of India, Kharge travelled from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru along with Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and other senior leaders. They later held discussions at the residence of Karnataka energy minister KJ George on Tuesday.

Reports of a power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have surfaced repeatedly over the past year. The power-sharing issue intensified after the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its term in November last year.

Congress sources told PTI that the informal meeting took place at George’s residence shortly after the leaders returned from Kerala, where they had attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Congress government.

According to sources, discussions during the gathering revolved around recent political developments in the state and continuing speculation surrounding the chief ministerial post.

They added that some leaders in the party were pushing for clarity from the high command on the leadership issue.

KN Rajanna indicated that an informal discussion on the leadership issue may have taken place.

“Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were there in Kerala. Why would discussions not have taken place there itself?” Rajanna asked while speaking to reporters.

According to party insiders, Rahul Gandhi had earlier sought feedback from senior leaders, including George, regarding internal political equations in the state.

Congress sources also indicated that several leaders are now waiting for party general secretary KC Venugopal to return from a short break, amid indications that further consultations could take place in Delhi in the coming days.