NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said that the issue of leadership change was not discussed with the Congress high command leaders during his visit to Delhi, but added that “patience always pays.”
Speaking to reporters after meeting senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital, Shivakumar said the central leadership would take a call at an appropriate time, keeping the larger interests of the party and the state in mind. Shivakumar also met Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chief Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence on Thursday.
“I can’t disclose details of my discussion with our leaders,” Shivakumar later told reporters.
His comments come a day ahead of the Siddaramaiah government completing 1,000 days in office on Friday. The milestone is set to be marked by the announcement of another welfare initiative, the Bhoomi guarantee, under which residents who have constructed houses will be provided ‘pakka khata’ by the revenue department.
The Shivakumar camp is of the opinion that the high command would call both the leaders to give clarity on the change in CM after the Karnataka budget session gets over.
But it’s certain that Shivakumar, along with Assam Congress leaders, met AICC general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is the chief of the candidates screening committee. The meeting was restricted to discussing Assam polls, informed sources said.
“We have not discussed that issue (power sharing). The party has its own goals. Our leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge would take a suitable decision keeping in mind the interest of the party, state, and country. The media is giving it a different colour,” Shivakumar said.
On his meeting with the high command leaders, Shivakumar said, “I meet everyone when I visit Delhi... including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Surjewala, and TB Jayachandra. When politicians meet, won’t politics be discussed? I can’t disclose it to the media. “I discussed Karnataka along with Assam and Delhi,” Shivakumar said.
“Those in politics are required to do politics. I always get success, but with efforts. Patience always pays,” he said while replying to a query.
Hitting back at Congress MLC Dr Yathindra, who had recently said that his father Siddaramaiah would complete his full term as CM, Shivakumar sarcastically said,“We have to accept what he (Yathindra) says... he is our high command.”
Responding to reports that some Congress legislators were planning a foreign tour from February 16 to March 3, allegedly to delay any power-sharing arrangement between the Chief Minister and his deputy, Shivakumar said he was unaware of such a move. “I am not aware of it. I have only seen it in newspapers,” he said.
Shivakumar also chose not to respond to a question on whether a leadership change could take place by the time the government completes 2,000 days in office.
BJP has internal feud,not Congress, says DKS
“The conflict is in the BJP, not in our party. The CM and I have said that we will abide by the Congress high command’s decision. We have had discussions, and the party will decide,” Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar hit back at BJP’s criticism that the people of the state were suffering owing to the conflict between him and the chief minister.
