D K Shivakumar fumes after colleague M B Patil’s ‘power sharing’ comments, dials Kharge, others

BENGALURU: Apparently upset over minister M B Patil’s remarks on power sharing, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is learnt to have called up Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretaries Randeep Singh Surjewala and K C Venugopal.

On Monday, M B Patil had said, “Siddaramaiah will remain Chief Minister for five years. If there was any power-sharing arrangement, our party seniors would have made it known. Party general secretary K C Venugopal would have announced at the press conference in Delhi when he announced who will be the CM.

Upset over this, Shivakumar is learnt to have spoken to the central leaders over phone and questioned whether Patil was the high command or the PCC president. “On what basis can he talk like this? If such things happen at this stage, it will become difficult in the days ahead”, he is believed to have told the central leaders.

Minister M B Patil’s remarks on power sharing seem to have irked D K Shivakumar.

“I am firm on my stand and the government’s first priority will be to fulfill the five guarantees. If others disturb the functioning of the government, I am ready to opt out of the cabinet and let them do whatever they want”, Shivakumar is learnt to have said. He also asked the central leaders to put a halt to all such public comments by the party leaders.

However, on Tuesday, Patil said that he was replying to a question on whether there will be a change of guard after the Lok Sabha Election and said that he had only recalled what party general secretary K C Venugopal had announced at the press conference. “Venugopal had said power sharing is with the people and that D K Shivakumar will be the only Deputy CM and that he will continue as KPCC president till the Lok Sabha election”.