‘Leadership’ tussle continues in Karnataka Congress, Siddaramiah and DK Shivkumar continue pitch for top post

BENGALURU: The leadership tussle in Karnataka has become unstoppable as Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is holding continued meetings with MLAs, including Ministers HC Mahadevappa and Satish Jarakiholi, to garner support.

On the other side, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son and Congres’s MLC Yatindra Siddaramaiah has once again asserted that his father will finish his full term.

Speaking to the media, Yatindra Siddaramaiah said that his father will continue as the CM for the full term and there’s no change in this.

“The high command calls him about various issues and discusses them,” he added.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader and MLC BK Hariprasad hinted that Satish Jarakiholi would continue the legacy after Siddaramaiah, which is making the tussle and confusion stronger in Karnataka Congress.

Though Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar met twice for breakfast and reaffirmed unity within the party, saying that the High Command will make a decision, but the Congress Leadership has not given any clarity till now.

Siddaramaiah’s silence is being seen as a sign of support from a group of senior Leaders like BK Hariprasad, Satish Jarakiholi, MB Patil, Bhyrati Suresh, Dinesh Gundu Rao, HC Mahadevappa, Zameer Ahmad and others.

However, DK Shivakumar’s continued meetings with MLAs are still keeping the confusion of ‘Leadership and CM change’ intact in karnataka.

The Deputy CM’s followers were confident about the 50:50 formula and felt that DK Shivakumar would become CM, however the prolonged silence from the party high command and the Congress’ state in-charge Randeep Surjewala has added to the confusion.

Meanwhile, the BJP is using the confusion to target the state government during the ongoing assembly. The BJP has even threatned to move a confidence vote in the assembly. Now, the ball is in the Congress’ high command’s court as they look to stem the crisis. (ANI)