- Congress rejects the leadership change buzz in Karnataka "speculation"
- It claims Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Council seats were discussed in meetings today
- Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were part of the marathon meets held in Delhi
A marathon six-hour meeting with the top leadership of Karnataka was about the state's three vacant Rajya Sabha seats, the Congress said today. A one-minute statement to the media -- waiting for a resolution to the contentious issue of Chief Ministership -- after the meeting also contained a piece of advice: "No speculation". "Only speculation, no discussions other than on upcoming Rajya Sabha polls," the party said.
The meeting, party general secretary KC Venugopal told reporters, was attended by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. "Discussions were held regarding the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. There is no truth to any other speculation," he said. Siddaramaiah said the agenda of a cabinet expansion did not come up for discussion either.
The leadership issue in the state has been in the headlines for more than a year, with DK Shivakumar's supporters standing firm on the claim that the top leaders had promised a rotating Chief Ministership when the party formed government after the 2023 assembly elections.
Read: Karnataka Leader's Big Claim On DK Shivakumar Amid Delhi Meets
The matter was expected to be resolved today - with the party feeling the pinch of anti-incumbency and renewed activity in the BJP camp. There were reports that a call for revamp in leadership has the backing of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The Congress has been wary of upsetting Chief Minister Siddaramiah, who is 80 years old, despite his less-than-sterling administrative record.
The reason, sources had indicated, was because of his ahinda support base that encompasses minority communities, backward classes, and Dalits and had helped Congress bypass the Vokkaliga-Lingayat caste equation in 2023.
Despite the big row about the rotation issue November - when the Siddaramaiah government completed two years in power - the Congress had opted for status quo in view of a possible backlash from these communities during the assembly election in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Read: Congress Rejects Karnataka Buzz, But Insiders Reveal A Priyanka Gandhi Push
Now that the election is over, there is much optimism that Shivakumar will finally get his chance.
The 64-year-old Deputy Chief Minister also holds the post of the state Congress chief - a departure from Rahul Gandhi's one-man-one-post dictum that underscores his importance to the party.
