Davangere (Karnataka) [India], November 29 : After Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Deputy DK Shivakumar reaffirmed the Congress party's cohesion and unity on Saturday, Shivaganga Basavaraj, a close aide of Shivakumar, made it clear that the Congress party's high command will decide the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. Basavaraj emphasised that there's only one faction in the party - the Congress faction.
Shivaganga Basavaraj said, "Already, both the CM and DCM have held a press meet and cleared it. There is only one faction among us: the Congress faction. The Congress high command will decide everything. The high command has not cracked the whip on us. The CM chair is not vacant; let's talk once it is. We are committed to it; let the high command make someone CM. The meeting held today is not a temporary meeting, is it? Is the media creating it?"
He reiterated Shivakumar's claim to the CM post, stating, "If DK Shivakumar does not become CM in December, I said, I will write it in blood and give it to you." Basavaraj assured that Shivakumar is committed to his word and is waiting for the high command's decision.
Basavaraj downplayed the significance of recent meetings and visits to Delhi, saying they were for personal work. He emphasised that the high command's decision is final and there's no wait-and-see strategy.
"There is no wait-and-see strategy; the high command's decision is final. Some MLAs went to Delhi. I went for personal work; I don't know about others. I will go to Delhi again in three days, it will be for our personal work. The opposition parties said it was a November revolution. What happened? There is no November revolution, there is no revolution," he added.
The Karnataka Congress Disciplinary Committee had issued a notice to party MLA Basavaraju V Shivaganga in August for statements he made in the media about the change of Chief Minister in the state.
"Anyone can become CM when the chair is vacant. I have already said once that before December it will change (CM)," he had said.
Earlier, after an hour-long breakfast of Idli-Sambar and Upma on Saturday morning, CM Siddaramaiah and his Deputy DK Shivakumar reaffirmed cohesion and unity within the Congress party, saying that both leaders have decided to follow whatever decision the party high command takes and resolve any "confusion".
"We have decided that we will follow whatever the high command says. There will be no confusion from tomorrow. There is still no confusion. Some media reporters have created the confusion," CM Siddaramaiah said during a press conference.
CM Siddaramaiah had called his deputy for a breakfast meet earlier today at his Cauvery residence, during which the two held a "productive meeting" to discuss the state's priorities and the "road ahead."
Talking about the breakfast meeting, the Chief Minister said that they both "just had breakfast" after Congress's General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal asked Siddaramaiah to invite DK Shivakumar and A S Ponnanna.
According to CM, they discussed their agenda for the 2028 elections and the upcoming local body elections.
"Our agenda is the 2028 elections. Local body elections are important. We discussed them. We also discussed bringing back Congress in the 2028 elections. We discussed going together. There are no differences between us and there will be no differences in the future," he said.
"We have discussed together that we will go together as we did in the 2023 election. We don't have any differences, and there will be none in the future either. We work together," the CM added.
Meanwhile, Deputy CM Shivakumar reaffirmed the CM's sentiment, saying they are looking to fulfil the wishes of the state's people. "We have to fulfill their wishes. In that direction, we are working. What the party high command decided we are working," Shivakumar said during the press conference.