A group of Congress legislators and a few ministers loyal to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar have reportedly reached Delhi to meet the Congress high command. The faction has reportedly reached the national capital to convince the Delhi high command to make Shivakumar the chief minister of the state, replacing Siddaramaiah.
Reportedly, Karnataka Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy, MLAs Iqbal Hussain, H.C. Balakrishna and S.R. Srinivas have reached the national capital to meet Congress's top brass. A dozen more legislators are likely to reach the national capital on Friday.
The development comes a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hinted he will continue in the post, and Shivakumar expressed willingness to step down as Congress president. During an event in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said he will present the 17th state budget next year, hinting he will continue as the head of the state.
When the Congress was elected to power in the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections, there was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post. Though neither leader expressed their displeasure in public, after several rounds of discussion, senior Congress leaders managed to broker a formula, making Siddaramaiah the chief minister and Shivakumar deputy CM.
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Speculations were rife then that the leaders had agreed to a rotational formula, according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-a-half years. Meanwhile, Shivakumar on Wednesday expressed his desire to step down as Karnataka Congress president. "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," Shivakumar said during an event.
The Congress leader had always maintained he would adhere to the decisions of the Congress high command. Meanwhile, Shivakumar's brother D.K. Suresh said the former had communicated to the seniors in the party whatever was needed. "The matter is now left to the party, its leadership, the AICC president and Rahul Gandhi to decide," he added. |
