‘We’ll talk about it tomorrow’: Siddaramaiah maintains stoic silence amidst leadership change buzz

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that discussions with the Congress high command will be addressed tomorrow, amid continuing speculation surrounding a possible leadership change in the Karnataka Congress.

Siddaramaiah made the remarks after paying floral tribute to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the latter’s 62nd death anniversary at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.

“After the independence of this country, he was the first Prime Minister. For 17 years, he was the Prime Minister of this country and served the people of this country. He was a socialist and a capitalist”, he told the reporters after paying the tribute. When asked specifically about talks with the party high command, Siddaramaiah said, “We will talk about it tomorrow”.

The remarks come as 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 recurring discussions around leadership transition within the ruling Congress.

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.

Following the Delhi meeting, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal had clarified that discussions were limited to organisational matters, including upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections, and dismissed reports of any leadership change as “speculation”.

Meanwhile, Home Minister G Parameshwara said that there is no clarity yet on what was discussed during the high command meeting in Delhi. He added that AICC state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala’s visit to Bengaluru is expected to clear confusion.

“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,” Parameshwara said.

Speculation over the chief ministerial post in Karnataka has surfaced repeatedly since the Congress government completed two-and-a-half years in office. Supporters of DK Shivakumar have, at various points, publicly backed him for the top post, while some Congress workers have also rallied behind G Parameshwara, adding another layer to the internal political buzz.

The upcoming meetings in Bengaluru are now being seen as crucial in understanding the party’s internal coordination and future political strategy in the state. (ANI)