Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 29 (ANI): Amid rising speculation over a leadership tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the Congress sought to project unity as the two leaders held an hour-long breakfast meeting today, reiterating their commitment to the party high command's directives.
Although Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar aimed to send out a message of harmony, the opposition dismissed the meeting as a "breakup par makeup," alleging that the leaders were merely attempting to mask their internal differences with a show of solidarity.
Speculations about a leadership change in Karnataka rose on November 20, when the Siddaramaiah-led government completed its half-term.
Siddaramaiah, the current CM, insists he'll complete his five-year term, citing the mandate given by the people of Karnataka. He's emphasised his commitment to fulfilling the party's promises, including the five guarantee schemes. Shivakumar, on the other hand, is pushing for a leadership change, citing a "secret agreement" among senior leaders that he should take over as CM after 2.5 years.
The high command, led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, is expected to make a decision soon. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have expressed willingness to abide by the party's decision.
The tussle, fueled by the 2023 "power-sharing agreement" between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, has pushed each side's loyalists to lobby for their leaders' claims to the state's top post.
Earlier today, DK Shivakumar held a "productive discussion on Karnataka's priorities and the road ahead" with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during a breakfast meeting at his Cauvery residence.
Following his meeting with DK Shivakumar, CM Siddaramaiah and the Deputy CM 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. 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 that we will go 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 like we did in the 2023 election. We don't have any differences and there will be no differences even in future. We work together," the CM added.
On the other hand, DK Shivakumar stressed that both the politicians have conveyed their message to the Congress workers. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he emphasised that several pressing issues require attention, particularly in irrigation and urban development.
"Whatever message we had to give, the Chief Minister and I have conveyed it to all Congress members. We stand with the Congress and are committed to the party. There are many issues, especially related to irrigation and urban development," DK Shivakumar told reporters.
BJP National Spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla claimed that Congress's unity acts are fake and stated that this internal conflict is solely about power, not the people of Karnataka.
In a post on X, JDS alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar are focused on consolidating power and managing rival factions rather than addressing farmers' distress, school closures, rising prices, and infrastructural gaps.
"The high command needs to step in to even serve snacks in Congress! @INCIndia. The @INCKarnataka government, which came to power by giving false promises of providing good governance to the state and deceiving the people, has already split into factions for the sake of the chair in just 2.5 years. For the sake of power, @siddaramaiah and @DKShivakumar are feeding their herd of rival-turned-friendly MLAs and keeping an eye on them like hawks from dawn," the JD(S) said.
"In the state, farmers are facing hardship without support prices for their crops. Due to drought damage, falling prices of sugarcane and maize, the food providers have been left penniless," it added.
Karnataka assembly leader of opposition R Ashoka took a dig at the power struggle within the Congress party between Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Ashoka said that the infighting has reached a point where no one knows who the actual Chief Minister is. Ashoka criticised the high command for failing to address the issue of the power-sharing agreement, with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi reportedly unavailable.
"The fight between the two leaders has intensified as no one knows who the CM is. DK Shivakumar has said that Siddaramaiah is someone who breaks his word. As a result, officials are not working. In the government, everyone is discussing who the CM is instead of working. Nothing happens in breakfast meetings except fights. DK Shivakumar has directly spoken about the power-sharing agreement, but the weak high command is not responding. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have fled abroad," he said. (ANI)