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The deputy chief minister has publicly said he is “in no hurry” but emphasised that the party and the top brass will decide the way forward
To manage rising tension, both leaders recently took part in a highly symbolic “breakfast diplomacy”: first at Siddaramaiah’s residence, and then at Shivakumar’s home. (PTI)
As speculation swirls in state political circles, Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday firmly dismissed claims that his upcoming trip to Delhi relates to power politics. Shivakumar said he is travelling only for a “private programme and a couple of meetings”, denying any link to the leadership tussle with chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Shivakumar, who has asked party MLAs to mobilise at least 300 members from each constituency for the Congress’ protest on December 14 at Ramlila Maidan, said: “There is nothing political about my Delhi visit. I will be back for tomorrow [Thursday]’s cabinet meeting.” He added that supporters chanting his name along with that of other political figures should not be misconstrued as political posturing.
When asked about his views on Siddaramaiah meeting senior Congress leader KC Venugopal, Shivakumar said: “What is wrong with the chief minister meeting Venugopal, or even Rahul Gandhi?”
The deputy CM’s comments come against the backdrop of speculation over a possible mid-term change in the top post due to a “power-sharing” or “rotational chief ministership” agreement that was reportedly informally worked out when the current Congress government was formed after the 2023 assembly elections. Under the alleged understanding, each leader was to hold the CM office for 2.5 years. On November 20, the Karnataka government completed its half tenure and since then, supporters of both camps have been on an overdrive.
To manage rising tension, both leaders recently took part in a highly symbolic “breakfast diplomacy”: first at Siddaramaiah’s residence, and then at Shivakumar’s home. After the second meeting, they spoke jointly to the media, stressing that there is “no rift” between them, referring to each other as “brothers,” and underlining their commitment to follow whatever verdict comes from the high command.
Still, the underlying uncertainty remains. Shivakumar has publicly said he is “in no hurry” but emphasised that the party and the top brass will decide the way forward. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah has repeatedly maintained that he is ready to step down if asked by the high command, but until then he believes he must continue for the full five-year mandate.
On BJP’s Luxury Watch Jibe
Shivakumar also rubbished the BJP’s remarks on Siddaramaiah as the party targeted the chief minister for allegedly wearing a luxury watch worth Rs 43 lakh during a breakfast meeting with his deputy.
Showing his watch, Shivakumar said: “I bought this watch from Australia. I paid Rs 24 lakh for this watch from my credit card. Please check my transaction, it’s my hard-earned money. Siddaramaiah could have got a gift from someone. What is wrong in wearing a gifted watch?”
The BJP had claimed that Siddaramaiah’s choice of accessory exposes an “extravagant mindset” and questioned the sincerity of his socialist credentials.
In a post on X, the Karnataka unit of the BJP wrote, “Mr Siddaramaiah, your definition of Socialism seems to come with a very high price tag. While the people of Karnataka struggle with drought and crumbling infrastructure, our ‘Simple Socialist’ CM flaunts a Santos de Cartier.”
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