Karnataka power tussle: ‘There is no problem between us, it was just a breakfast that we had together, we didn’t discuss any politics. ‘- This was the first reaction by the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after meeting with his deputy DK Shivakumar today. They met at the CM’s residence, Cauvery in Bengaluru.
Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar invited him for lunch first, after which the chief minister instead insisted on breakfast at his place.
Show of unity – Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-DK Shivakumar
The press conference after the ‘breakfast’ meeting was a display of unity, aimed at showing that they remain aligned under the Congress high command. It should be noted that the breakfast meeting was convened by Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah following instructions from the Congress high command. This came after AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal directed the senior leaders to hold discussions aimed at resolving their differences.
Decision left to Congress High Command?
The press conference showed the two leaders trying hard to downplay their power tussle. “We sat down to discuss it. We aim to win the corporation, gram panchayat, and the 2028 election,” Shivakumar said. Notably, the term ‘high command’ dominated the presser, signalling that the dispute has now been placed before the party leadership.
It is understood that the tussle between the state party’s power centres remains unresolved, even after the much-publicised ‘breakfast’ meeting. It is also worth noting that after demonstrating his strength in the Assembly elections, D.K. Shivakumar was given an assurance of the Chief Minister’s post after 2.5 years. With both senior leaders holding their ground, the matter now rests with the Congress high command — and whichever way it rules, the decision is likely to trigger internal unrest within the party.
Breakfast Diplomacy
Amid Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar’s breakfast diplomacy, the Congress high command is closely watching the ongoing tussle within the Karnataka unit over the CM’s post. The power centre is unhappy with the “war of words” on social media, the leadership has issued a firm warning to both Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar. The two leaders met over breakfast this morning, even as a late-night gathering of MLAs from the Shivakumar camp had already heightened tensions within the party. The High Command has categorically stated that both parties should resolve the matter together and then come to Delhi. The High Command will make the final decision.
