AICC Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala arrives in Bengaluru amid ongoing speculation over state leadership

BENGALURU: All India Congress Committee (AICC) Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala arrived in Bengaluru on Wednesday amid recurring discussions around leadership transition within the ruling Congress in the state.

Earlier in the day, Home Minister G Parameshwara said that no one was aware of the discussions held during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s recent meeting with the Congress high command in Delhi and expressed hope that Surjewala’s visit would bring clarity. Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said Surjewala’s visit will clear up all the confusion on Thursday amid speculation surrounding the state leadership.

“Yesterday, the high command leaders called the CM. The CM met them. But no one knows what was discussed inside. We have no information yet. State incharge Randeep Surjewala is coming to Bengaluru today. He will clear up all the confusion tomorrow. We still don’t know about the internal discussions. We only know what KC Venugopal said. That’s all I have to say,” Parmeshwatra told reporters. “CM Siddaramaiah has also called a breakfast meeting tomorrow. I will meet the CM this afternoon,” he added.

Parameshwara’s remarks come as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to hold a key breakfast meeting with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at his official residence ‘Cauvery’ in Bengaluru on Thursday, a development being closely watched amid ongoing discussions around leadership transition within the state.

The meeting follows a high-level Congress leadership discussion held in New Delhi on Tuesday. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar were present at the meeting.

After the Delhi meeting, KC Venugopal dismissed reports of any leadership change, saying the discussions focused solely on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Karnataka Legislative Council polls.

“Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, and I were part of the discussion. The entire discussion was concentrated only on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Council elections of Karnataka,” Venugopal had said.

Speculation over the chief ministerial post in Karnataka has surfaced repeatedly since the Congress government completed two-and-a-half years in office. (ANI)