- Mr Kharge said MLAs have been told to approach various forums within the Congress and stop going to the media
- Any decision on leadership change, he said, would be taken by the Congress brass
- As of now, Mr Kharge said, "there is nothing on the plate"
Rumblings in the Congress unit in Karnataka were expected to be calmed when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, joined hands - literally - in a show of unity on Monday. Chaotic scenes, however, continued to play out on Tuesday with the push for a leadership change and Mr Shivakumar's elevation as chief minister refusing to die down.
Mr Shivakumar, Congress Karnataka-in-charge Randeep Surjewala and the party high command have all signalled that status quo will be maintained for now and, speaking exclusively to NDTV on Tuesday, Karnataka IT and Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge reaffirmed that view.
To a question on why there has been no "categorical clarity" from the Congress brass on what is going to happen next in Karnataka, Mr Kharge, who is the son of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, said that wasn't the case.
"I am not sure what you mean by clarity. When the Karnataka Congress President, deputy chief minister, Mr Siddaramaiah, the chief minister, and Mr Kharge, the Congress national president, have all said no decision will be taken on any of the issues. We will decide what needs to be done. And there is, as of now, nothing on the plate. Nothing in front of us," the minister said.
Pressed on MLAs publicly declaring their support for a leadership change, Mr Kharge said they have been told to approach various forums within the party and stop going to the media.
"There's no point in going and talking to the media. The media will not change anything, nor will anybody else. If someone has to take a decision, it is going to be the high command. If followers of leaders and other people go to the media, it does not impact anything that the high command has to take a decision on," he said.
In a stern message to those in the party who are still insistent on making their views public, the minister said, "So, it is left to people like us, who are going to the media, to refrain from it. We are not children. We don't need to be tutored when to talk, and when not to. We should talk on the right platform and to the right people. Then it makes a difference," he said.
On whether the status quo will continue for the full term of the government in Karnataka, till 2028, Mr Kharge said everyone - from the chief minister to the deputy chief minister to him - have been assigned responsibilities by the brass.
"We have our tasks cut out, and we are just doing that. This speculation is being generated because a few of our colleagues are talking to the media when the media is asking questions. They are being open about it... When my leadership has already cleared the air, what more do you want me to add?"
