‘Time-wasting CM-DCM breakfast meetings’: JD(S) takes a dig over Congress leadership tussle

BENGALURU: Even as the Congress makes an effort to portray an image of unity amidst a leadership crisis in Karnataka, the Janata Dal (Secular) on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, accusing it of political infighting and neglecting the state’s pressing issues.

In a post on X, the party alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar are focused on consolidating power and managing rival factions rather than addressing farmers’ distress, school closures, rising prices, and infrastructural gaps.

“The high command needs to step in to even serve snacks in Congress! @INCIndia. The @INCKarnataka government, which came to power by giving false promises of providing good governance to the state and deceiving the people, has already split into factions for the sake of the chair in just 2.5 years. For the sake of power, @siddaramaiah and @DKShivakumar are feeding their herd of rival-turned-friendly MLAs and keeping an eye on them like hawks from dawn,” the JD(S) said.

ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ತಿಂಡಿ ತಿನ್ನಿಸೋಕ್ಕೆ ಹೈಕಮಾಂಡ್‌ ಬರಬೇಕಾಯ್ತು ! @INCIndia

ರಾಜ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಉತ್ತಮ ಆಡಳಿತ ನೀಡುತ್ತೇವೆ ಎಂದು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಭರವಸೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕೊಟ್ಟು, ಜನರನ್ನು ಯಾಮಾರಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ @INCKarnataka ಸರ್ಕಾರ, ಕುರ್ಚಿಗಾಗಿ 2.5 ವರ್ಷಕ್ಕೇ ಬಣಗಳಾಗಿ ಒಡೆದು ಹೋಳಾಗಿದೆ.

ಅಧಿಕಾರಕ್ಕಾಗಿ @siddaramaiah ಮತ್ತು @DKShivakumar… https://t.co/JafB4jGpGw

— Janata Dal Secular (@JanataDal_S) November 29, 2025

“In the state, farmers are facing hardship without support prices for their crops. Due to drought damage, falling prices of sugarcane and maize, the food providers have been left penniless,” it added. The JD(S) claimed that while the government indulges in high-profile meetings and ceremonial events, the common people of Karnataka are left to bear the brunt of misgovernance.

“Amid price hikes, lack of infrastructure, thousands of government schools shut down, and no development, the common people are frustrated. Instead of addressing any of this, they’re indulging in time-wasting CM-DCM breakfast meetings, high command meetings, supporter meetings, and temple runs for the chair, dragging the state’s situation to rock bottom”, the JD(S) added.

This came after CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy Shivakumar met over an hour-long breakfast of Idli-Sambar and Upma on Saturday morning. CM Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar reaffirmed cohesion and unity within the Congress party saying that both the leaders have decided to follow whatever will be the decision of the party high command and resolve any “confusion”.

“We have decided that we will follow whatever the high command says. There will be no confusion from tomorrow. There is still no confusion. Some media reporters have created the confusion,” CM Siddaramaiah said during a press conference. CM Siddaramaiah had called his deputy for a breakfast meet earlier today at his Cauvery residence, with both of them holding a “productive meeting” to discuss the state’s priorities, and the “road ahead.”

Talking about the breakfast meeting, the Chief Minister said that they both “just had breakfast” after Congress’ General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal asked Siddaramaiah to invite DK Shivakumar and A S Ponnanna. According to CM, they discussed their agenda for the 2028 elections and the upcoming local body elections.

“Our agenda is the 2028 elections. Local body elections are important. We discussed them. We also discussed bringing back Congress in the 2028 elections. We discussed that we will go together. There are no differences between us and there will be no differences in the future,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy CM Shivakumar reaffirmed the CM’s sentiment, saying that they are looking to fulfil the wishes of the people of the state. “We have to fulfill their wishes. In that direction we are working. What the party high command decided we are working,” Shivakumar said during the press conference.

While both leaders appeared amicable during their brief interaction, the ball is firmly in the Congress High Commands court now. The party leadership of President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi are expected to meet the two leaders as well as other MLAs and take a decision on the leadership issue. (ANI)