Rahul Gandhi, DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi briefly met Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar at the Mysuru airport on Tuesday, fuelling speculation amid the ongoing power tussle between the two state Congress stalwarts.The interaction took place on the tarmac during Gandhi’s transit halt while returning to Delhi from Tamil Nadu. He spoke to both leaders, separately and together. Gandhi transited through Mysuru twice during the day—while travelling to Tamil Nadu and again on his return—with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar present on both occasions.
While the contents of the discussion are not known, party sources said it centred on the Congress’ “Save MGNREGA” campaign and the Karnataka government’s contribution to push for restoration of the 2006 legislation implemented by the erstwhile Congress-led Union government. The meeting came as both leaders were seeking an appointment with Gandhi.Siddaramaiah is reportedly pressing for a Cabinet reshuffle, while Shivakumar wants clarity on a leadership change. Party insiders believe approval for a reshuffle would indicate Siddaramaiah is set to complete his full term, weakening the prospects of Shivakumar, who also heads the party’s state unit.Speculation over a potential leadership change has intensified since the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its term in November last year, amid reports of an unconfirmed power-sharing arrangement at the time of government formation in May 2023.Siddaramaiah later told reporters there was “no confusion” within the party and said no political discussions took place during his meeting with Gandhi.(With PTI inputs)
