New Delhi: The Congress is likely to resolve the leadership issue in Karnataka after the Rajya Sabha elections, sources said, even though the party remained silent on the contentious issue after a day-long meeting of the top central and state leaders Tuesday.
The party insisted that only the issue of Rajya Sabha and state council elections was discussed at the meeting, which was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal and AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala, among others.
Sources said the party top brass, including Gandhi and Kharge held several hours of discussions with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, apart from meeting them separately, and is likely to take a call on a possible change of guard in the state after the Rajya Sabha polls, which are due next month.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Venugopal termed as “mere speculation” the talk about any leadership change in Karnataka.
Though Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had convened a meeting to decide party candidates for the two elections, the point of interest remained the protracted leadership tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who had been summoned to Delhi.
Sources said the Shivakumar camp has been pressing Siddaramaiah, 77, to quit the top post and a formula to accommodate him in the central role has been offered to him, which he has not accepted. The formula includes giving Siddaramaiah a Rajya Sabha seat, they said.
At the core of the leadership tangle in the southern state is Shivakumar’s demand that he be elevated to the chief minister’s post in accordance with a “promise” which his supporters claim was made to him during state assembly elections in 2023. They are also citing the age factor.
Amid intense speculation, some media reports claimed that Siddaramaiah may be replaced by Shivakumar in a few days.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had arrived in the national capital, accompanied by the MLAs supporting them.
After the party meeting, Siddaramaiah held deliberations later in the evening with some ministers considered close to him.
“Today, the entire discussion was only concentrated on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and (Legislative) Council elections of Karnataka.
“Whatever speculation you people are doing, that is only speculation, no reality at all. Today we discussed about the Rajya Sabha seats and the Council seats of Karnataka,” said Venugopal, flanked by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
He said the candidates of the Rajya Sabha and Council seats of Karnataka will be announced along with the other seats like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
“This is what we have decided today, and nothing else was discussed,” he asserted.
Asked about any leadership change, Siddaramaiah also said, “It is only a speculation”.
Asked if there was any discussion on leadership change, he replied emphatically with “No”.
On a possible cabinet reshuffle, the chief minister said, “It did not come up for discussion.”
Of the four Rajya Sabha seats getting vacant in Karnataka, the Congress can win three seats and the BJP one.
Kharge’s Rajya Sabha seat is getting vacant in June, and he is likely to be re-elected from Karnataka.
The party may also field Shivakumar’s brother D K Suresh as one of the Rajya Sabha candidates, as well as a woman or an OBC nominee. Suresh has been a former Rajya Sabha member from the state.
Besides, the Congress leaders are also learnt to have discussed the party candidates for the legislative council seats. The Congress is likely to get four seats in the legislative council out of the seven vacancies, going by its present strength in the state assembly.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily
