Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 29 (ANI): Amid rising speculation over a leadership tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the Congress sought to project unity as the two leaders held an hour-long breakfast meeting on Saturday, reiterating their commitment to the party high command’s directives.
Although Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar aimed to send out a message of harmony, the opposition dismissed the meeting as a “breakup par makeup,” alleging that the leaders were merely attempting to mask their internal differences with a show of solidarity.
Speculation about a leadership change in Karnataka intensified on November 20, when the Siddaramaiah-led government completed its half-term. Siddaramaiah has insisted he will complete his five-year term, citing the mandate given by the people of Karnataka and emphasizing his commitment to fulfilling the party’s promises, including the five guarantee schemes. Shivakumar, meanwhile, has been pushing for a leadership change, citing a “secret agreement” among senior leaders that he would take over as chief minister after 2.5 years. The high command, led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, is expected to make a decision soon. Both leaders have expressed their willingness to abide by the party’s verdict.
The tussle, fueled by the 2023 “power-sharing agreement” between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, has prompted loyalists on both sides to lobby for their leaders’ claims to the top post. Earlier in the day, Shivakumar said he held a “productive discussion on Karnataka’s priorities and the road ahead” during a breakfast meeting at Siddaramaiah’s Cauvery residence.
Following the meeting, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining cohesion within the party, stating that they would follow whatever decision the high command makes and resolve any “confusion.”
“We have decided that we will follow whatever the high command says. There will be no confusion from tomorrow. There is no confusion even now. Some media reporters have created the confusion,” Siddaramaiah said at a press conference. He added that the discussion also focused on strategies for the 2028 elections and upcoming local body elections.
“Our agenda is the 2028 elections. Local body elections are important. We discussed them. We also discussed bringing back Congress in the 2028 elections. We discussed that we will go together. There are no differences between us and there will be no differences in the future,” he said. “We have discussed together that we will go together like we did in the 2023 election. We don’t have any differences and there will be no differences even in the future. We work together.”
For his part, Shivakumar emphasized that both leaders had communicated their message clearly to party workers. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he noted that several pressing issues demand urgent attention, particularly in the areas of irrigation and urban development.
“Whatever message we had to give, the chief minister and I have conveyed it to all Congress members. We stand with the Congress and are committed to the party. There are many issues, especially related to irrigation and urban development,” Shivakumar said.
BJP National Spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla dismissed the display of unity, alleging that the Congress’s gestures were superficial and driven solely by power struggles rather than public welfare. In a post on X, the JD(S) alleged that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were more focused on consolidating power and managing rival factions than addressing farmers’ distress, school closures, rising prices, and infrastructure gaps.
“The high command needs to step in to even serve snacks in Congress! The government, which came to power by giving false promises of good governance and deceiving the people, has already split into factions for the sake of the chair in just 2.5 years. For the sake of power, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are feeding their herd of rival-turned-friendly MLAs and keeping an eye on them like hawks from dawn,” the JD(S) said.
“In the state, farmers are facing hardship without support prices for their crops. Due to drought damage and the falling prices of sugarcane and maize, the food providers have been left penniless,” it added.
Karnataka Assembly Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka also took a swipe at the Congress, claiming that the infighting had reached a point where “no one knows who the actual chief minister is.” He criticized the Congress high command for failing to address the power-sharing issue, alleging that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were unavailable to intervene.
“The fight between the two leaders has intensified as no one knows who the CM is. DK Shivakumar has said that Siddaramaiah is someone who breaks his word. As a result, officials are not working. In the government, everyone is discussing who the CM is instead of working. Nothing happens in breakfast meetings except fights. DK Shivakumar has directly spoken about the power-sharing agreement, but the weak high command is not responding. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have fled abroad,” Ashoka said. (ANI)
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