A group of Karnataka Congress lawmakers - some of whom have publicly backed DK Shivakumar in his tug-of-war with Siddaramaiah over the Chief Minister's post - reached Delhi Thursday night, the day before a rumoured power-sharing 'agreement' between the two leaders expires.
Agriculture Minister Chaluvarayaswamy and Mandya MLA Ravi Ganiga, as well as MLC Dinesh Gooligowda are in Delhi. Channagiri MLA Basavaraj Shivaganga said he will travel to the national capital as well. Kunigal MLA Ranganath and Mysuru MLA Harish Gowda are expected in Delhi too.
The traveling group will also include Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain who, in July, said 100 Congress MLAs would back DKS. Those remarks came at a delicate time for a ruling party trying to put out fires within its ranks. Shivakumar, possibly urged to by the Congress' central leadership, shut down talk of a rift.
Speaking to reporters in the evening, Shivakumar said, "I don't know about the MLAs who have gone to Delhi, they haven't asked me and I don't know about it, I don't know about these things. My health is not good. I hadn't even stepped out of the house today, and I just went to visit a friend at the hospital. I'm happy the chief minister has said he will continue for five years. No one has questioned whether he will continue. The party has given him the responsibility of being the chief minister and we will all work together."
On paper the lawmakers are on a business trip; NDTV understands they have work connected to the Department of Agriculture. But the fact the travelling group includes lawmakers from the politically influential Vokkaliga community - from which Shivakumar hails - has raised eyebrows.
As does the fact today, i.e., November 20, is the half-way point of Siddaramaiah's term.
According to the 'agreement' - brokered to end a squabble over the Chief Minister's post that threatened to derail the Congress' 2023 election win - Siddaramaiah will resign at this time.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (File).
And Shivakumar will succeed him to serve out the rest of the Congress' term.
The Congress has always insisted all is well in Karnataka.
Equanimity in the southern state is seen as critical for the party's image after being routed in the only two elections this year - Delhi and Bihar, winning only 19 seats between them.
Siddaramaiah, in fact, has repeatedly said he will complete his five-year term, while DKS has publicly expressed support for his boss, though not always without apparent reservation.
And speculation of a 'November revolution', as a potential leadership change has been dubbed, was dismissed by the Chief Minister as a media creation. He said his position had grown 'stronger'.
"Some believed in the superstition that anyone who comes to Chamarajnagar loses power... but my power hasn't gone... it has only gotten stronger. It is strong today and will continue to remain so. I won't comment on what DK Suresh said. People voted for us. We will focus on delivering on our promises."
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar (File).
But that speculation persists, nonetheless.
DK Suresh, DKS' brother, had put pressure on Siddaramaiah by saying "he is not the kind of person who goes back on his word... if he is lucky, my brother will become Chief Minister."
READ | "No One Can Be Permanent": DKS Hints At Quitting Big Congress Post
In this context DKS' remarks from Wednesday - he said he might quit as boss of the party's state unit - have also been seen as significant. Retaining the Karnataka Congress President post - despite the 'one man, one post' rule - had been used against Shivakumar's supporters.
The DKS vs Siddaramaiah feud appeared to have been settled in June after Congress troubleshooter Randeep Surjewala was flown down to Bengaluru. Surjewala, who negotiated the 2023 peace, was clear the party had no plans to change its Karnataka leader.
READ | "Answer Is No": Congress Not Considering Karnataka Chief Minister Change
But DKS' camp made equally clear, despite their man publicly asking them to stand down, that they would continue demanding a change in the state's top leadership.
The June-July chapter in the squabble ended with apparent amiability, with both men holding hands and high-fiving each other at a Mysuru event. "Our government will last for five years... like a rock," Siddaramaiah said. DKS grinned and stayed silent.
With input from agencies
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