NEW DELHI: Congress high command on Tuesday refuted speculations over the tussle between Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shiva Kumar over chief ministerial post in Karnataka.After a series of back-to-back meetings, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said that the entire discussion was concentrated on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and council elections of Karnataka.”Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi. CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar, general secretary incharge of Karnataka and I were part of the discussion. The entire discussion was concentrated only on upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Council Elections of Karnataka,” Venugopal said. “Whatever speculation you people are doing is only speculation; no reality at all. The candidates of Rajya Sabha and Council seats of Karnataka will be announced along with the other seats like that from other states. This is what we decided today and nothing else,” he added.Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah and DKS met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal at Indira Bhavan as the party attempted to contain growing speculation surrounding the power-sharing arrangement in Karnataka. Siddaramaiah, while leaving Karnataka Bhavan for Indira Bhavan on Tuesday morning, did not respond to questions from reporters on whether he would complete his full term as chief minister amid leadership change rumours. Shortly afterwards, Shivakumar also arrived at Indira Bhavan for the meeting with the Congress leadership.The high-level discussions came amid persistent tensions between the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar camps nearly three years after the Congress returned to power in Karnataka. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru before leaving for Delhi, Siddaramaiah said he was unaware of the agenda of the meeting.“I have been invited to Delhi. There is a meeting tomorrow (May 26). I do not know the subject of the meeting. They have called the meeting for 11 am AICC General Secretary and MP KC Venugopal called me, informed me about the meeting, and invited me to attend,” Siddaramaiah said.The Congress leadership had already intervened multiple times to manage tensions between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar since the formation of the government in 2023. Supporters of Shivakumar had repeatedly claimed that a rotational chief ministership formula existed at the time of government formation, though the party high command never publicly confirmed such an arrangement.Meanwhile, the opposition BJP continued targeting the Congress over the prolonged uncertainty surrounding Karnataka’s leadership, claiming the infighting was hurting governance and exposing divisions within the ruling party.
