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Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday denied a power tussle between him and CM Siddaramaiah, stating that "there is nothing there" and assured that he will adhere to the party's decision over the issue.
Speaking to reporters, DK Shivakumar said, "There is nothing there. I don't want to comment on it. Whatever the party says, we will work together." Shivakumar's remarks come amid growing speculation about a change in the Chief Ministerial face of Karnataka, fueled by the "power-sharing agreement" of 2023 between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, which has been cited frequently in political circles. Earlier in the day, DK Shivakumar said that he and Chief Minister Siddaramiah will travel to Delhi if the party's leadership asks them to do so. "If the High Command asks me and the CM to come to Delhi, we will go," Shivakumar told reporters at Vidhana Soudha. Siddaramaiah had also said that he would visit Delhi if the party high command called him. On Thursday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that a decision concerning leadership will be made after a discussion among the party's central leaders apart from Siddaramiah and Shivakumar. "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. There is a team. I am not alone. The entire high command team will discuss and make a decision," he told reporters. Earlier on Wednesday, Congress MLA and former minister KN Rajanna said the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) should decide the name of the chief minister. Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has also implied that he remains in the race for the Chief Minister's post amid demands from Dalit organisations for a Dalit Chief Minister. "I have always been in the CM race. In 2013, I was the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). We brought the Congress government to power then. I have never said that I brought the government to power alone. Everyone worked together. People voted and made the party win. I was defeated at that time. I don't know what would have happened if I had won. They give the KPCC president a chance. That is not followed in some cases," Parameshwara said. (ANI)
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