Several Karnataka ministers and MLAs, loyal to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, have headed to New Delhi where they will meet the top Congress brass amid the rumoured power tussle in the state. Notably, the development comes a day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah completed 2.5 years in the office.
According to news agency PTI, Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, and MLAs Iqbal Hussain, HC Balakrishna and SR Srinivas have headed to Delhi on Thursday. In addition to them, 12 more MLAs will arrive in Delhi on Friday.
There was a stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the top post in Karnataka after the 2023 assembly elections. Later, Siddaramaiah was made the chief minister, while Shivakumar was made his deputy after the Congress leadership promised a "rotational chief minister formula". However, the Congress has never officially confirmed about it.
Though, it must be noted that Siddaramaiah has asserted that he will remain the chief minister for all five years. "When I first became finance minister, a newspaper wrote -- this Siddaramaiah (a Kuruba) can't count a hundred sheep, how will he function as Karnataka's finance minister -- I accepted this as a challenge..... I have presented 16 budgets. Next, I will present the 17th budget," he told reporters at the golden jubilee of LG Havanur on Wednesday.
'Cannot be state Congress chief forever'
On Wednesday, Shivakumar also indicated that he may have to step down as the state Congress president, but assured party workers that he will remain "in the frontline leadership" of the party. "Whether I'm around or not is immaterial. But I want to set up 100 party offices during my tenure," he said at a party event to mark former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary.
When some party workers expressed concern over his uncertain tenure as state Congress chief, he said, "I cannot hold the post permanently. It has already been 5.5 years, and in March, it will be six years." "Others should be given an opportunity. But I will be in the leadership. Don't worry, I will be at the frontline," he added.
Shivakumar was appointed Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President in May 2020.
(With PTI inputs)
