Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 16 : Apparently playing down the "time will answer" remarks of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and PCC chief DK Shivakumar over leadership debate in the state, party leader BK Hariprasad has said that Shivakumar "is like a railway engine" and "whenever an engine arrives at a railway station, it makes a lot of noise".
Hariprasad, who is a MLC in Karnataka and AICC-incharge of Haryana, told ANI that the party leadership, including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, know what to do in Karnataka, and they will take a final call on any decision concerning the leadership in the state.
Hariprasad said that the PCC chief makes some remarks when the media approaches him.
"He is the PCC President. He is like a railway engine. He has to pull the party. The other engine is Siddaramaiahji, who is heading the government. Whenever an engine arrives at a railway station, it makes a lot of noise, all mikes go to him, naturally he has to make sound, noise ... After the train leaves, everything is cool," Hariprasad said when asked about Shivakumar meeting the Congress central leadership.
"Yes, time will say everything," he said, answering another query.
"Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi know what to do. They will take a final call. As a congressman, everybody should wait for them," he added.
Shivakumar had said on February 14 that the Congress high command and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will examine the statements being made by party MLAs.
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said he would abide by the party's decisions and remain loyal to both the government and the organisation.
"Whatever the party has said, I'm going to do. If MLAs are telling anything, the High Command will look into all those things, and the CM will look into all those things. I don't want to interfere. My duty is to be a loyal soldier of the party and the government," DK Shivakumar told reporters.
His remarks came after his recent visit to Delhi, where he attended a Congress meeting ahead of the Assam elections.
Answering a query if he was expected to be Chief Minister after the state budget, Shivakumar had said "time will answer."
On February 10, Karnataka Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain had said that at least 80 party MLAs had given Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's name for the CM post to the high command.
Shivakumar said on Thursday that the chief ministerial post was not discussed during his meeting with Congress leaders at the AICC. He added that senior leaders will decide when it will be suitable for the state.
"We were not discussing anything on this. The party has a vision. All our senior leaders will take the call whenever they find it suitable in favour of Karnataka."
Shivakumar said that discussions focused on political matters, but declined to disclose details of the meetings.
"I don't think I need to disclose whom I met inside 10 Janpath. We are not ready to discuss politics on the streets. We have met our high command and discussed what needs to be discussed. Once I arrived, we met and discussed many things; I don't need to disclose that. We came here to discuss political things, not just to breathe air," he told reporters.
The leadership tussle within the Karnataka Congress began in November last year, when the government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term.