Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar will hold another breakfast meeting at the latter's residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday, in which many see as a show of unity amid the logjam between them over the top post in the southern state.
"As told by the CM on Saturday, he is scheduled to visit Shivakumar's residence for breakfast," news agency PTI quoted official sources as saying.
The first breakfast meeting between was held on Saturday at Siddaramaiah's residence, following instructions from the Congress top brass. Following it, they maintained that they are like 'brothers' and there are no differences between them.
The tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar could be traced back to 2023 Karnataka assembly elections when the Congress stormed to power in the state, after which a 2.5-year rotational formula for the chief ministerial position was finalised by the Congress high command. With the Siddaramaiah government completing its half-term, the two leaders have said they will accept the top brass' decision regarding a leadership change in the state.
Though the two leaders and the Congress have dismissed reports of conflict between them, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has claimed that Karnataka's administrative machinery has completely collapsed because of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar's tussle. The saffron party has also claimed that seven to eight Congress legislators and ministers are in the race for the CM's post.
"The competition for the chief minister's chair is intensifying day by day. According to information I have, at least seven to eight senior legislators and ministers in the ruling party are competing to somehow become the CM," PTI quoted Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra as saying.
"The voters of the state have given a clear mandate to the Congress and have made the BJP sit in the opposition. The BJP will function as an effective opposition and has no intentions to form the government," he added.
