Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar Refute Claims of Internal Strife in Karnataka Congress

Bengaluru, Jan 7 (NationPress) In a bid to clarify the controversy regarding a dinner gathering that was rumored to have ignited infighting within the Karnataka Congress party, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar firmly stated that there is no discord within the Congress.

Addressing reports about a dinner hosted by Minister for PWD Satish Jarkiholi while Deputy CM Shivakumar was away, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah explained that it was a New Year’s celebration and no political dialogues occurred. He emphasized that the focus was on strengthening the party, labeling the media's speculative reports as unfounded.

In response to the speculation, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar remarked on Monday from New Delhi that such dinner meetings are typical in politics and shouldn't be overanalyzed.

“It is common for politicians to attend dinner gatherings. I also host dinner meetings regularly. The media should avoid politicizing these events. I was abroad with my family after not traveling with them for 4-5 years,” he told reporters.

He was addressing inquiries regarding the perceived political implications of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s dinner meeting while the Deputy CM was out of the country.

“Many other ministers were also traveling abroad. Those present in Bengaluru attended the dinner meeting, and there is nothing inappropriate about it,” he added.

When asked about the calls for a Cabinet reshuffle and changes in KPCC presidency made by Minister H.K. Patil and others, he stated, “There have been no discussions on this. The media is misinformed. This is at the discretion of the CM, and he will address it.”

Sources indicated that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah convened a dinner meeting on Thursday night at the residence of PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi to strategize on potentially replacing Shivakumar as the party's state president and advocating for the establishment of additional Deputy Chief Minister positions in the state. This action is viewed as a move to undermine Shivakumar, who has been positioning himself as a significant leader within the party alongside Siddaramaiah.

Though attendees at the dinner insisted it was merely a New Year celebration, sources point to possible internal disputes within the Congress party.

The Karnataka BJP has criticized Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar regarding significant decisions taken by the government during his absence. Referring to the dinner attended by seven cabinet ministers and 34 MLAs, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the BJP questioned whether Dy CM Shivakumar was merely a nominal leader.

The Chief Minister’s faction has long been advocating for the creation of additional Deputy Chief Minister positions. While Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar collaborated to secure a decisive victory for the Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections, signs of internal rivalries appear to be increasing.

Siddaramaiah played a vital role in attracting votes from Dalits, minorities, and backward classes, whereas Shivakumar was instrumental in securing influential Vokkaliga votes for the party in the southern region.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi announced that the Chief Minister would be selected based on the majority support of MLAs. Siddaramaiah claimed the position for his second term, even though Shivakumar had publicly expressed a desire to assume the Chief Minister role.

The BJP has also accused the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, in which CM Siddaramaiah is currently under investigation, as being highlighted by Shivakumar as a strategy to counter the Chief Minister.