BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s failure to secure a stay in the High Court on Monday, despite senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing him, raises the crucial question of his ability to continue in office if an FIR is filed against him.
In response to the development, wheels have started turning within Congress. Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar met his one-time rival Satish Jarkiholi at a neutral location for a private 40-minute discussion later on Monday. The absence of aides during the meeting suggested a serious and direct exchange between the two leaders. Some in Congress said Satish is slated to take over as KPCC president sometime soon and the meeting was related to that.
The relationship between the two leaders had cooled off in the last few years, particularly after a controversial video involving Ramesh Jarkiholi, Satish’s brother, surfaced. Ramesh recently commented that if Shivakumar becomes CM, the state would face significant challenges.
The meeting was to address and clarify these issues, it is speculated.
The fallout between the two was also over the control of Belgavi politics and cooperative banks. Some believe that the meeting aimed to resolve these and other contentious issues too, though they have been ironed out in the past.
Sources close to Satish said while the two leaders have met on many occasions earlier, the Tuesday meeting has garnered considerable attention. The circumstances are also noteworthy: Shivakumar’s brother DK Suresh lost in the LS polls, while Satish Jarkiholi’s daughter Priyanka won. Shivakumar’s efforts to help Laxmi Hebbalkar’s son, Mrinal, too failed. This meeting was far from casual and suggests important developments within Congress, sources added.
If the chief minister is changed, there is a list of potential candidates for the post, including All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party president G Parameshwara. But if Shivakumar wants to fulfil his ambition of becoming CM, Satish’s support is crucial, as he is said to control several legislators, up to 15-20 MLAs from both Congress and BJP.