United over breakfast, Karnataka CM and DyCM divided over luncheon in Delhi
BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar who had signalled truce over change in leadership tussle by hosting breakfast for each other was seemingly divided over the luncheon hosted by the party high command on the sidelines of the party’s ‘vote chori’ rally in the national capital on Sunday.
Shivakumar, who had landed a day early in New Delhi, met Sonia Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjuna, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and LoP in LS Rahul Gandhi, whose audience was hard to come by for him, at the luncheon arranged at Indira Bhavan, the AICC headquarters.
He was found exchanging pleasantries with them in a jovial mood. According to sources he spoke to Sonia Gandhi for a while but it’s not known what transpired between them.
Siddaramaiah after landing in New Delhi had his lunch at Karnataka Bhavan and went straight to Ramleela Ground to join the rally.
Speculations is rife on whether it was the party high command’s move not to give audience to both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at once, as it has to take a final call on the change in the CM post as a pact was reportedly struck when the party came to power in 2023. Or, Siddaramaiah chose not to attend the luncheon as the high command did not summon him to discuss the change in leadership and may take a call in future.
Interestingly, under the pretext of attending the rally in Delhi, both the Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar camps used it as a platform for showing their strength.
As Shivakumar’s aide and Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain on Saturday had set the tone by announcing that Shivakumar will become the CM on Jan.6, 2026 it reverberated in Delhi. Shivakumar’s supporters raised slogans as he is the next CM which the Siddaramaiah supporters countered it by hailing that he will complete five years in office.
Women and child welfare minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar termed the statements of both Iqbal Hussain and the CM’s son Dr Yathindra’s that his father will continue as CM for five years are irrelevant as the party high command will take a call on change in leadership.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil refused to respond Iqbal’s statement saying that the high command, including Kharge, has instructed the party’s rank and file not to speak on change in leadership.
Amidst all the developments scores of Congress party leaders, including MLAs and ministers, took part in the rally.
DK Shivakumar is likely to stay back in Delhi under the pretext of attending the Delhi police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) notice served to him and his younger brother, DK Suresh, former Bengaluru rural MP, in the National Herald case as they had donated Rs 25 lakh each to the Young Indian Trust.
It remains to be seen whether the CM and the DCM would meet the high command leaders, especially Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.