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Shivakumar declined to discuss the exact decisions made during the meeting between him, Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah, amid an ongoing power tussle in Karnataka.
On his way to Tamil Nadu, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (Image: @siddaramaiah/X)
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar raked up the ongoing power tussle in Karnataka again on Monday, saying he enjoyed the support of all party MLAs amid buzz over his expected meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.
Shivakumar said he is travelling to Delhi to meet the party high command to discuss political issues and government functioning. The Deputy CM had emphasised full support to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and denied any differences between them.
When asked about the discussions over a power-sharing deal, Shivakumar told reporters, “All 140 MLAs support me. We know what I and the Chief Minister (Siddarmaiah) discussed in front of Rahul Gandhi.”
However, he declined to discuss the exact decisions made during the meeting between him, Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah a few days ago. Shivakumar has been in the national capital for the past three to four days, where he met senior party leaders as part of preparatory discussions related to the Assam Assembly elections and the party’s planned protest over MNREGA issues.
READ MORE: ‘Between Him And Me’: DK Shivakumar On ‘Helicopter Shot’ With Rahul Gandhi At Mysuru Airport
Responding to media queries on speculation around his Delhi visit, the Deputy CM said there was nothing unusual about senior leaders meeting party leadership. “We come to Delhi for government work, party work and political work. We are politicians and all politicians do what is necessary in politics. There is nothing wrong with it,” Shivakumar said.
His remarks came amid intense speculation of a power tussle in Karnataka, as he is widely seen as a claimant for the chief minister’s post. The internal debate within the ruling Congress has intensified after the government crossed the halfway point of its five-year term on November 20.
Speculation around a leadership change has been linked to the reported power-sharing agreement between the two leaders when the Congress came to power in 2023, under which Siddaramaiah was supposed to serve as Chief Minister for 2.5 years, while Shivakumar was supposed to serve at the top post for the remainder of the Congress term.
January 19, 2026, 16:22 IST
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