BENGALURU: Thursday’s ‘power dinner’ Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi hosted at his residence in Belagavi for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his camp gave indications that the change in leadership issue continues to be on the boil, despite Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar meeting over breakfast a few days ago.
This comes ahead of the Congress high command’s likely summons to both leaders to thrash out this very specific issue. The Deputy Chief Minister’s camp seems to be more eager than the CM’s camp on the meeting. It is to be seen whether the party will call both before or after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi on December 27.
Shivakumar may have to go to Delhi even before that in connection with the notice served to him by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EAW) in the National Herald case.
Political analysts observed that Siddaramaiah’s assertion that his chief minister’s tenure is not limited to two-and-a-half years in the Assembly is the fallout of Thursday’s dinner, where his loyalists might have backed him to continue in the top post.
Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa, Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar and CM’s legal adviser and MLA AS Ponnanna were at the dinner.
Interestingly, the chief minister was there for hardly 20-30 minutes. It was hosted exclusively for AHINDA leaders, but Sudhakar who had some work with the CM had joined though he was not invited officially, a source said.
Satish Jarkiholi and Parameshwara held talks till 2 am.
“We discussed nothing but strengthening the party and bringing it back to power in the 2028 elections,” said Satish while speaking to reporters on Friday. He is a strong contender for the KPCC president’s post, which is held by Shivakumar now, and also wants to run for the CM post in 2028.