- At a Karnataka event, DK Shivakumar said keeping promises is the biggest power move
- Shivakumar is challenging Siddaramaiah amid claims of a rotational chief ministership deal
- Siddaramiah has said that the final decision rests with the Congress high command
In a cryptic remark amid the Karnataka chief ministership tussle, state Congress president and incumbent Siddaramaiah's challenger, DK Shivakumar, has said word power is world power, and keeping a promise is a big power move.
Addressing an event, Shivakumar said, "There is a saying that word power is world power, which means that for us to keep our promise is one of the biggest powers in the world. Whether it is a judge, the President of India, me, or you, or someone at your home, this is the biggest power, and we have to respect it."
Shivakumar then added a 'chair' remark. Asking supporters surrounding him to take a seat, he said, "Those who are standing behind me don't know the value of a chair. Instead of sitting in any of the chairs they get, they are unnecessarily standing." The remark evoked a peal of laughter.
The Congress veteran is locked in a leadership tussle with incumbent Siddaramaiah, who took the top post after the Congress 2023 polls win. While Shivakumar's camp stresses that a rotational chief ministership had been agreed upon, Team Siddaramaiah trashes this claim. Shivakumar's 'keep promise' remark is being seen as a reminder to the Congress leadership about this alleged assurance of a change in the top post after two and a half years.
Over the past couple of weeks, MLAs from the Shivakumar camp have been making rounds to Delhi, triggering a wave of speculation about an imminent change of guard. NDTV has now learnt that December 1 is the deadline within which a power shift can take place.
The Congress high command has said they are working to clear the impasse. "The high command - myself, Rahul ji and Sonia ji will together take a decision on the issue and resolve it," Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has said.
Siddaramaiah has said that the final decision rests with the high command. "Ultimately, it's the high command that decides... to put a full stop to this confusion, the high command has to take a decision."
Publicly, Shivakumar has also refused to claim the top seat. "I haven't asked for anything. The matter of leadership is between about five or six of us... I don't want to embarrass the party or make it seem weak. We are there because of the party and the workers," he has said.
