Karnataka final decision coming? Rahul Gandhi-Siddaramaiah meeting ends with possibility of change of guard
Party sources said there has been constant speculation about elevating Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar since the Congress government in Karnataka completed half of its term and a fresh round of talks is expected before the final decision.
Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were in the national capital on Tuesday and attended a meeting with Congress center leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
The party officially said the meeting discussed the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls and Council elections and termed reports about a possible leadership change in the state as “speculation”.
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Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal told media persons that party candidates for Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka will be announced along with candidates from other states.
“Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, chief secretary in charge of Karnataka (Randeep Singh Surjewala) and I were also part of the discussion. The entire discussion was solely focused on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and the Karnataka Council Elections,” Venugopal said. “Any speculation by you is just pure speculation; there is no reality… Candidates for Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Council seats will be announced along with similar seats in other states… This is what we have decided today and nothing else,” he added.
Sources said that after discussions on Rajya Sabha and Council elections, a separate meeting was held between Siddaramaiah and Rahul Gandhi, which lasted for more than half an hour.
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Sources said Siddaramaiah has been asked to pave the way for a change even though the party’s senior leader was not given any deadline.
They said Siddaramaiah has been given options, including a Rajya Sabha seat, but the final decision is expected after the next meeting between him and Rahul Gandhi.
Speculations have been mounting regarding a leadership change in the Karnataka Congress ever since the government completed its two-and-a-half-year term last year.
Speculations intensified after the Congress leadership challenged Siddaramaiah for discussions.
The Congress government in the state has completed three years.
Over the past 18 months, Shivakumar’s supporters have repeatedly claimed that he would soon take over as Prime Minister.
