BENGALURU: Even as talks of leadership change in Karnataka refuse to die down, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar continues to camp in New Delhi.
Shivakumar, who was in Delhi on Friday night, flew to Karnataka on Saturday to attend the funeral of veteran Congress leader Bheemanna Khandre, and returned to Delhi. On Sunday, Shivakumar is likely to meet with a few leaders of the Congress high command. The immediacy has been interpreted as his keenness to prove himself as the party’s go-to man, as he has turned proactive on Assam Assembly polls, being an observer, and also to counter the Siddaramaiah camp’s immediate mission of getting LoP in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s nod for a cabinet reshuffle.
Shivakumar is not ready to give it a chance, as a cabinet reshuffle would put the issue of leadership change on hold, opined a party insider. Shivakumar insisted that the top brass consider his demand — a word on change in leadership, a congress legislator told The New Sunday Express.
“If at all the high command gives its nod, the reshuffle would happen by the second week of February... else it would happen only after the budget session, which ends in March,” he remarked.
Shivakumar even cancelled his official tour to Davos to take part in the World Economic Forum to be held from January 18. But he attributed it to a series of meetings with AICC functionaries concerning Assam polls. Also, Shivakumar, as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief, is spearheading campaigns against the new VB-G RAM G Bill.
The Karnataka government has even called for a 7-day special session of the Assembly to discuss the matter. It will begin on January 22.
After taking part in the preparatory meeting on Assam polls held at AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi on Friday night, Shivakumar also met Rahul Gandhi for about eight minutes, revealed informed sources.
According to sources, Shivakumar, besides reminding the change in leadership issue, might have also volunteered to take additional charge of the Kerala Assembly polls for which Energy Minister KJ George is the observer. George, who held one-on- one talks with Rahul Gandhi before Shivakumar in Delhi on Friday, has been identified as a member of the Siddaramaiah camp.
It is to be seen whether Shivakumar meets AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, considered as Rahul’s Man Friday, in Delhi on Sunday and hold talks on certain issues.