Bengaluru: Amid persistent speculation over leadership change in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday asserted that all 140 Congress MLAs, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, are firmly backing him, while making it clear that internal discussions with party leaders will not be debated in public.
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said leadership matters were discussed internally with senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, and stressed that only the party’s High Command would take the final call.
“All 140 MLAs are my supporters. Even Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is with me. Do you know what Siddaramaiah and I have discussed, or what we discussed with Rahul Gandhi? Only we know that. Can I reveal those discussions before you? Time will answer all your questions,” he said.
‘Media Creating Confusion’
Responding to reports questioning whether he met Rahul Gandhi during his recent Delhi visit, Shivakumar criticised contradictory media narratives.
“We visit Delhi for political, party and government-related work. I discussed Karnataka, Assam elections and other political matters with our leaders. One day, the media published my photo with Rahul Gandhi, and another day it reported that I did not meet him. I have made it clear — I will not discuss this further. Time will answer,” he said.
He firmly rejected suggestions of a leadership crisis within the Congress, blaming the media for fuelling speculation.
“There is no confusion about leadership. You are creating confusion. The High Command will take a decision, and all of us will abide by it. Both the Chief Minister and I have clarified this many times. Congress is united. We will follow the directions of Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge,” Shivakumar said.
‘CM and I Are on the Same Page’
Asked about the outcome of his Delhi meetings, the Deputy CM reiterated that both he and Siddaramaiah were aligned with the party leadership.
“The Chief Minister and I have agreed that we will abide by the High Command’s decision. You are more worried about your TRP,” he remarked.
On MLAs openly expressing aspirations regarding leadership, Shivakumar said such expectations were natural in politics.
“MLAs will have their desires. There is nothing wrong in that. They may be waiting eagerly, but that doesn’t mean there is a problem,” he added.
Credits Party Workers, Not Just Leaders
When a reporter remarked on Shivakumar’s hard work for the party, he responded by crediting Congress workers across the state.
“It’s not just me who worked hard. Party workers toiled day and night across all 224 constituencies, especially during the Covid period. The people, media, BJP and JDS are all praying for me — while some are criticising me,” he said.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: ಎಲ್ಲಾ 140 ಶಾಸಕರು ಮತ್ತು ಸಿಎಂ ನನ್ನ ಬೆಂಬಲದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ: ನಾಯಕತ್ವ ಚರ್ಚೆ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಡಿಕೆ ಶಿವಕುಮಾರ್ ಮೌನ
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