BENGALURU: A day after signalling a truce with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the leadership tussle, DCM D K Shivakumar stressed that there are no differences between them and he knows his limits.
“There is no difference between me and the CM. Being the party president, I know my limits. Nowhere have I made any comments or expressed a difference of opinion with the CM. We are all working together. There are a lot of aspirations of the people of Karnataka, and we are committed to working for them. Our aim is 2028 and 2029. The CM and I will work out a strategy,” he told reporters here on Sunday.
Shivakumar declined to divulge what transpired between him and AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal when the latter called him over phone and advised him to have a breakfast meeting with Siddaramaiah. “I have discussed with everyone (high command leaders, including Venugopal). I won’t discuss what transpired in the meeting,” he said.
Stating that he never indulged in factional politics, the DCM said, “As you would have noticed, I go to Delhi alone. I can take 8-10 MLAs with me, but I don’t do it. I have to take everyone along with me as KPCC president. All 140 MLAs are our leaders. Even as part of the HD Kumaraswamy government, I was sincere. Kumaraswamy’s father, former PM HD Deve Gowda, knows how much effort I put in to save his son’s government. My brand of politics is direct, I don’t backstab.”
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy was Karnataka chief minister in 2018 in the Congress-JDS coalition government.
Asked if he was travelling to Delhi for political discussions, he said, “The CM and I discussed maize and sugarcane issues and we need to discuss it with the state’s MPs. I believe we should call an all-party meeting in Delhi. Need to see the view of the CM. All ministers from the state also need to be there.”
On RDPR and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge meeting his father, AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, in Delhi on Saturday, Shivakumar hit back, “Does a son need to apply for a meeting with his father? You are reading too much into everything. It isn’t politics when a father and son meet.”
On some Vokkaliga seers supporting him, Shivakumar said, “Kumaranna doesn’t even know how the Vokkaliga mutt came into being. Who built it? Would Deve Gowda have become the CM if not for the Vokkaliga seers. Did the seers keep quiet when injustice was meted out to (BJP leader) Sadananda Gowda? The seers speak on certain occasions, there is nothing wrong in it.”
Kumaraswamy had opposed the seers’ intervention and taunted Shivakumar for not seeking their support. “Did I ask for their support? I haven’t asked for anyone’s support. If they support you out of affection, can you say no? Though I was born in a particular community, I like and respect all communities. Many other seers, including Balehonnur seer and Sri Saila seer have supported me. Jain seers have blessed me too. I got support when I went to Dharmasthala too. We can’t say it is wrong,” Shivakumar said.