BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday clarified that he will neither fight within the party nor betray it with a revolt to become the CM. “I am a street fighter, I know how to fight. My fight is not for power, and not within the party, my fight is outside the party. If my opponents think I am silent, it is their business,” he told reporters. “Why should I revolt? I have faith in myself and I live in hope. Whatever comes to me will come when it has to.”
On the CM’s statement that his relationship with Shivakumar is like milk-and-honey, he said, “I have not spoken about the CM’s issue so far. It is between me, the CM and party high command.
I have not made any statement except saying I was involved when some decisions were taken. I have never said the CM’s post will become vacant or that a Dalit or someone else should get the post. It is others who are making the CM’s post vacant,” he stated, taking a swipe at his detractors. He asserted that as KPCC president, he has the responsibility to ensure discipline and not damage the party image.
“I should not do injustice to my position. Others should not point fingers at me, saying I have done something wrong. This is a party we have built and nurtured. I will not trouble the party for selfish reasons,” the DCM said.
On AICC President Mallikarjuna Kharge, LoP in LS Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal discussing the leadership issue in Delhi, he said, “I don’t know about this. I have not spoken to them.”
