New Delhi [India], May 26 : Congress today termed as "speculation" reports about the possibility of leadership change in Karnataka and said that a meeting of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar with the party leadership discussed the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in the state and Council elections.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said that party candidates for the Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka will be announced along with candidates from other states.
The meeting took place in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
"Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, general secretary incharge of Karnataka (Randeep Singh Surjewala) and I were part of the discussion. The entire discussion was concentrated only on upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Council Elections of Karnataka," Venugopal said.
"Whatever speculation you people are doing is only speculation; no reality at all...The candidates of Rajya Sabha and Council seats of Karnataka will be announced along with the other seats like that from other states...This is what we decided today and nothing else," he added.
A speculation around leadership change in the Karnataka Congress has been brewing since the government completed its two-and-a-half years of tenure last year.
The speculation intensified after the Congress leadership invited Siddaramaiah for discussions. The Congress government in the state has completed three years.
Over the past 18 months, Shivakumar's supporters have repeatedly claimed that he would soon take over as Chief Minister.