As the Game of Thrones between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar intensifies, both leaders have reportedly received calls from the Congress high command asking them to present a united front ahead of a meeting in Delhi in the coming days.
Following the call, Siddaramaiah invited Shivakumar for a breakfast meeting on Saturday.
This comes a day after the two leaders engaged in a public war of words, to the dismay of the party’s top leadership.
On Thursday, Shivakumar posted on X, “Keeping one's word is the greatest strength in the world! Word power is world power... The biggest force in the world was to keep one's word."
"Be a judge, president or anyone else, including myself, everyone has to walk the talk. Word power is world power," his post read.
His comments were seen as a reference to the rumoured 2023 power-sharing agreement, when both he and Siddaramaiah were contenders for the chief minister’s post after the Congress won the Assembly elections.
At the time, the party convinced Shivakumar to accept the deputy chief minister’s post with unconfirmed reports of a “rotational chief minister formula,” under which Shivakumar would take over the top role in the state after 2.5 years.
Soon after Shivakumar’s cryptic message, Siddaramaiah did not back down, responding with a cryptic post of his own, stating, “A word is not power unless it betters the world for the people.”
His post further read, "The mandate given by the people of Karnataka is not a moment, but a responsibility that lasts five full years," which was seen as a direct message to his deputy.
The very public exchange reportedly did not sit right with the Congress leadership, who contacted the two senior leaders to put up a united front.
On Friday evening, in another post on X, Siddaramiah wrote, “The party seniors have called me and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and instructed us to meet. Therefore, I have invited him for breakfast, where we will discuss the matter.”
“There is no change in my stance. I have already informed that I will act as per what the party seniors have said,” he wrote, adding that Shivakumar had echoed the same.
Siddaramaiah also said he would travel to Delhi if directed by the high command.
Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge had already stated on Thursday that both leaders would be summoned to the capital to resolve the issue.
Earlier on Friday, however, Shivakumar told reporters that he wanted nothing and was not in a hurry.
“I don't want anything. I am not in a hurry. My party will take a decision,” he said at an event marking the Anganwadi programme’s golden jubilee, where he shared the stage with the chief minister.
Shivakumar had earlier claimed that there had been a “secret deal between 5-6 of us” regarding power-sharing in the party, which further stirred controversy within the state.
Political circles are buzzing with speculation about the Congress high command stepping in to settle the leadership tussle, which has gained momentum as the government crosses its halfway mark.
“I may go to Delhi. I have a lot of work there. The Parliament session is approaching. I have to meet all Karnataka MPs because they need to take up some of our projects," Shivakumar told reporters.
He added that he plans to discuss the Supreme Court verdict on the Mekedatu balancing reservoir with the state’s MPs and that he and the chief minister are convening an all-party meeting to discuss this and other issues like the maize price crash.
Asked whether he would meet the high command, he said, “Delhi is our temple. All of us have to go. Without Delhi, nothing can happen. Congress is a party with a long history, and it has always guided us,” adding that the leadership decides the party line and that both he and the CM would go whenever called.
Responding to reports of Vokkaliga seers being unhappy with recent political developments, he said, “I don't want any community angle. My community is the Congress community. Of course, I may belong to one community, and they (Vokkaligas) may like me. That is different.”
He said he has affection for all communities, adding, “My love is for all sections of society -- backward classes, scheduled castes, minorities, and everyone. Even Vokkaligas are backward class people.”
His comments came after Adi Chunchanagiri Math seer Nirmalanandanatha Swamy expressed support for him, and the Karnataka Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha warned the Congress that it would protest if he was treated unfairly.
Meanwhile, the opposition has seized the moment claiming that they may push for a no-confidence motion if the infighting continues.
Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that the BJP may consider a no-confidence motion if the matter is not resolved soon.
He further predicted that a “dark horse” could enter the race if the fight between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar escalates.
"If the Congress party's internal tussle for the posts of chief minister and deputy chief minister continues like this, there are chances of political turmoil in the state,” he said.
Bommai claimed the administration had “completely collapsed,” with farmers in distress and development work stalled.
Asked whether the BJP might bring a no-confidence motion during the Belagavi session, he said, “There is time till December 8. If such a situation arises, the occasion to move a no-confidence motion may come.”
BJP state general secretary V Sunil Kumar had claimed that the the party would move a no-confidence motion during the winter session in Belagavi, adding that even if the Congress government faltered, the BJP would not stake its claim.
He had earlier accused Congress leaders of focusing on internal power struggles while neglecting governance.
The political confusion with Congress has given ammunition to the opposition as the BJP and JDS, had earlier accused the ruling party leaders of indulging in a tussle for the CM's chair and neglecting governance.
(With inputs from PTI)