In a turn of events that is further likely to fuel the rumours of a leadership change in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday expressed his reservations about mentioning his deputy DK Shivakumar’s name in his speech at a party event in Mysuru on Saturday.
During the Sadhana Samavesha, a convention organised to highlight the Congress government’s achievements, Siddaramaiah publicly lashed out at a Congress leader for reminding him of mentioning Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar’s name during the welcome speech.
Visibly irritated, Siddaramaiah stopped the speech in the middle and said, “DK Shivakumar is in Bengaluru and not on stage. We only welcome those present here. We cannot extend greetings to someone sitting at home”. The remark left the Congress leader stunned, who quietly took his seat.
A senior Congress leader close to Shivakumar expressed displeasure over the chief minister’s tone.
“Without DK Shivakumar, the Congress wouldn’t have returned to power. The least the chief minister could’ve done was acknowledge him, especially when a party worker reminded him on stage. He didn’t have to respond so rudely,” the leader told India Today.
The development comes days after Siddaramaiah’s exclusive interview with India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai, where he downplayed DK Shivakumar’s clout in the party and claimed only a few MLAs backed him, remarks that have sparked fresh friction within the party’s top brass.
There are speculations doing rounds in Karnataka over the leadership dynamics in the state, with the supporters of Siddaramaiah claiming that he indeed will serve a full five-year term as the chief minister.
On the other hand, Shivakumar’s supporters within the Congress party claim that the deputy chief minister will take the top position when the “right time” comes.
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