BENGALURU: Even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar put up a united front after their Saturday breakfast meeting in Bengaluru, the issue of leadership change seems to have been resolved, with both the leaders hinting that they will abide by the Congress high command’s decision.
With this, the high command is back to holding the ball on changing the CM and reshuffling the cabinet.
But this is not the end. The tussle over leadership change is likely to escalate again when the high command takes it up to find a permanent solution after the winter session of the legislature and Parliament on December 19.
Sources said the outcome of the breakfast meeting was communicated to the high command leaders. Later, All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi held talks at the former’s residence in Delhi. Karnataka RDPR and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge and MLA Sharath Bachegowda were also present.
Karnataka will be on the table when the party’s parliamentary board meets in Delhi on Sunday that will be attended by former AICC president Sonia Gandhi, sources said. If needed, the high command may summon both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at a later date, they added.
On Saturday while savouring a breakfast spread of idli, upma, chutney, dosa and sweet, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar held discussion for close to 40 minutes. After the breakfast, Siddaramaiah stuck to his guns, saying he will go only by Rahul’s word.
It was in fact CM’s legal advisor and Virajpet MLA AS Ponnanna who played the role of interlocutor in the breakfast episode. AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal called Ponnanna on his phone on Friday, and spoke to Siddaramaiah, advising him to hold a breakfast meeting, said sources.
Political analysts said the breakfast meeting gives Congress time to save itself from the onslaught of Opposition BJP and JDS during the winter session of the legislature that commences in Belagavi on December 8.