The Congress high command addressed the Karnataka Congress crisis and leadership conflict between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Following a meeting in Delhi, national leaders emphasized discussions centered on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and other elections. They refrained from engaging with the media during the briefing.
AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal, along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, spoke to the media outside Indira Bhavan in Delhi. Venugopal clarified that the day’s discussions solely revolved around the forthcoming Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council elections. He dismissed media speculations, emphasizing that decisions were limited to candidate announcements for various states, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Sources revealed that LoP Rahul Gandhi engaged in detailed discussions with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar regarding the Chief Minister’s post. It was reported that Siddaramaiah was offered a Rajya Sabha seat and the Deputy Chief Minister position for his son, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, who currently serves as a Congress MLC. However, Siddaramaiah reportedly turned down the offer, prompting the high command to advise Shivakumar to wait for further developments.
Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, visibly pleased, left without addressing the media, heading back for more discussions with Venugopal. In contrast, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the speculations and appeared disheartened following the proposed power-sharing arrangement.
