Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, D.K. Shivakumar Saturday put up a united face for media cameras, seeking to dispel speculation of an intensifying battle between them.
Shivakumar had breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence as instructed by the Congress high command to force a truce—at least temporary—to quell the ongoing leadership tussle, which threatened the stability of the state government as well as one of its last remaining strongholds.
“We are united, and there are no differences between D.K. Shivamumar and myself,” Siddaramaiah said.
He added that the two leaders had been instructed to resolve their differences.
The 77-year-old also said that senior party leader K.C. Venugopal had called A.S. Ponnanna, the CM’s legal adviser, and asked that a breakfast meeting be arranged and Shivakumar be invited.
Siddaramaiah added that he too will go to Shivakumar’s home for lunch at a later date.
The two leaders have been locked in a bitter battle for dominance as Shivakumar is trying to hold the party high command to its promise of replacing Siddaramaiah midway through the current term.
The two leaders took turns to address reporters, repeatedly iterating that there was no animosity between them. Siddaramaiah even blamed the media for “creating” the confusion.
Though Shivakumar has publicly shown signs of ceding to Siddaramaiah, people aware of developments said the deputy CM is only upping the ante.
The Congress high command had brokered a peace deal between the two leaders in May 2023, assuring that both would take turns as state CM.
But both leaders have taken opposite positions on the issue. Siddaramaiah has publicly stated multiple times that he will complete his full term in the saddle while Shivakumar has wavered somewhat. He has acknowledged the existence of a “secret deal” and even backed Siddaramaiah’s words, at least in public.
On Saturday, Siddaramaiah refused to answer a specific question on the existence of such a deal. “Whatever high command tells us we will obey,” he said.
The two leaders said that they will head to Delhi if instructed to do so.
They added that MLAs and others rushing to Delhi were doing so to ask for ministerial berths if and when a cabinet reshuffle is held.
Shivakumar said that there was no factionalism in the Congress and both were loyal soldiers of the party.
Both of them said that they discussed the 2028 election strategy, ways to counter the Opposition in the upcoming winter session of the state legislature and other issues but not anything on the leadership tussle.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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