Amid speculations over the Karnataka Chief Ministerial post, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on 27 November stressed that a decision will be made by a team comprising the party high command, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar.
“When I said the issue will be decided by ‘high command’, it implied that it will be discussed by the team. There is a team of people… the team will sit, discuss and then take a decision,” Kharge told reporters on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Kharge stated that the issue would be resolved following discussions with senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Speculation arose as the Karnataka government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on 20 November.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday, Kharge stated that it will be a collective decision.
“I will call everyone and have a discussion. Rahul Gandhi will also remain present in that discussion. Other members will also remain present. CM and Dy CM will also remain present. The decision will be made after a discussion with all of these. There is a team. I am not alone. The entire high command team will discuss and make a decision,” he told reporters.
Speculation has been rife about a change in leadership in Karnataka, as the Congress government completed two and a half years of its term this month. Many have referred to the development as the “November revolution”, even as supporters of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar have demanded that he should become the next Chief Minister.
DK’s ‘keeping one’s word’ post
Earlier today, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar shared a social media post reiterating, “Keeping one’s word is the greatest strength in the world.”
In the X post, which is speculatively directed at the Congress high command, DK Shivakumar asked everyone, including himself, to keep their promises.
The post read, “Word power is world power. The biggest force in the world was to keep one’s word. Be it a judge, president or anyone else, including myself, everyone has to walk the talk.”
On Wednesday, senior Congress MLA and former minister KN Rajanna said the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) should decide the chief minister and hence “dissolve the assembly and face elections”.
He said it was the CLP which had elected Siddaramaiah as the CM.
“Let’s dissolve (the Assembly) and face the elections. Then let’s work together under the leadership of DK Shivakumar and come up with a majority. Then let him serve as the CM for 5 years. Wasn’t it the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) that elected Siddaramaiah? Now the decision should be made by the CLP,” the Congress MLA told reporters.
Keeping one’s word is the greatest strength in the world.
While CM Siddaramaiah has termed it an “unnecessary debate” and DK Shivakumar reiterated his loyalty to the Congress, dismissing speculation over his resignation as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, the Deputy CM has also sought a meeting with senior party leader Sonia Gandhi on 29 November to discuss the ongoing issues.
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