Sidda or DKS? Congress brass to meet to clear the air on Karnataka CM change

BENGALURU: After months of uncertainty, the Congress high command has decided to hold a meeting to address growing speculation over a change of Karnataka CM. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge confirmed this in Delhi on Wednesday, saying, “The high command – Rahul-ji, Sonia-ji and I – will together take a decision to resolve this issue.” Sources said the Congress brass is likely to meet senior party functionaries, including Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM D K Shivakumar, in Delhi on Nov 29.“On the CM post or transfer of power, the party high command will decide,” Shivakumar said. Reacting to reports of a Nov 29 meeting in Delhi, he added: “Twenty-ninth is still far away, let’s see. I don’t know.” Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge said that it could take a few days for the meeting to happen.However, minister K J George, belonging to the Siddaramaiah camp, denied any such pact.Priyank, who met Rahul in Delhi Monday, denied reports he had conveyed Rahul’s “message” to a recent meeting. He said he met Rahul to brief him on KEO, an AI-ready personal computer launched at Bengaluru Tech Summit, and to discuss “vote chori” in the state.A late Tuesday night meeting between Shivakumar and long-time rival and cabinet colleague Satish Jarkiholi triggered fresh buzz of a political churn in Karnataka. The two met at an undisclosed location in Bengaluru, with discussions reportedly stretching past midnight.Both confirmed the meeting Wednesday but insisted it was on preparations “for 2028 assembly and 2029 LS polls”. However, Shivakumar’s aides said he sought Jarkiholi’s support in persuading Siddaramaiah to honour an “unwritten pact” that he would step down at halfway mark.“What’s the harm in meeting Satish, he is my cabinet colleague,” Shivakumar said Wednesday. On the 2023 deal, he said: “I can’t speak about it with media.” However, the development comes amid strained relations between them, especially over political dominance in Belagavi, Jarkiholi’s stronghold. Shivakumar had openly backed state minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, also from Belagavi, against Jarkiholi.But Shivakumar insisted the meeting was part of routine party coordination. “I’m the party president, Satish is the working president,” he said. “Besides, we are close friends. Our relationship is good and we have worked together.., Govt has completed 2.5 years. We discussed what work needs to be completed in the remaining term. Other than that, there is nothing special about our conversation.” Jarkiholi took a similar line. On minister G Parameshwara’s claim to CM post, he said: “There is nothing wrong in making such claims… but who will finally decide? That happens in Delhi.”