BENGALURU: Developments in the ruling Congress after two breakfast meetings between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar indicate that the party high command is working out a formula for smooth transition of power in Karnataka.
On the central leaders’ advice, Shivakumar attempted to break the ice with Siddaramaiah and his camp, but the CM did not respond in kind. If Siddaramaiah is to transfer power to Shivakumar, the process is likely to be prolonged, as the CM’s sympathisers continue to resist any such move. Sources said if the choice was left to Siddaramaiah, or AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge is to be the next CM, transition of power would be easy.
Sources said that APMC Minister Shivanand Patil met Kharge in Delhi on Friday, and insisted that he should consider taking the mantle, but Kharge is interested in securing the political future of his son, RDPR and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge.
On Friday, Priyank met Shivakumar and his brother and former Member of Parliament DK Suresh, and held talks for about an hour. He had met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi recently and briefed him about the situation in the state, and is likely to have conveyed Rahul’s message to Shivakumar.
Meanwhile, on Thursday evening, at a wedding reception in New Delhi -- that of actor Sudeep’s family member -- Shivakumar, who is also president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), held discussions with Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, who is in the running for the KPCC chief’s post. Siddaramaiah’s son MLC Yathindra has termed Jarkiholi as his father’s ideological heir. On Friday, Shivakumar met Industries Minister MB Patil, a Lingayat, and held talks for about one hour.
MLC BK Hariprasad is likely to convey to senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi that status quo should be maintained in Karnataka, as five states, including Kerala, go to polls in 2026. In Kerala, AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal is running for the CM’s post, according to sources.
Not Satish Jarkiholi’s foe, says Shivakumar
Deputy CM Shivakumar confirmed that he had met Satish Jarkiholi at a wedding on Thursday. “It is true that Satish Jarkiholi and I met at a wedding last evening. We discussed the issues of the state and party. We are colleagues, why do you paint us as enemies? We may be in the Cabinet meeting together in the afternoon, and meet for dinner in the evening. Or we may meet for breakfast in the morning. Friendships and bonding are common in politics,” he asserted.
“I spoke to MB Patil, we discussed several things, how to attract investors and competition from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Telangana is also holding a global summit soon. We discussed how to compete at the global level,” he elaborated.