No rift with DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah calls him brother

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asserted that there are no differences between him and his deputy DK Shivakumar, and that they both are running the Government unitedly like “brothers”, and will continue to do so in the future too.

Reiterating that both of them will abide by the decision of the Congress high command on the leadership issue, he said Shivakumar will become the CM when the high command decides.

In an apparent display of unity, Siddaramaiah on Tuesday visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two broke bread in the wake of a raging power tussle. Following breakfast, both leaders asserted that they and the entire party were united.

“This understanding will always be there. There are no differences. DK Shivakumar and I are united; we run the Government unitedly. In the future also we will also run the Government unitedly,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here after the breakfast meeting.

On the leadership issue, he said, as decided in the previous breakfast meeting organised at the CM’s residence on Saturday, both of them will abide by the high command’s decision.

So far, there is no communication from the high command on the timeline for any decision on the matter. The CM, in response to a question, said, “If they (high command) call us, we will definitely go and meet them. Tomorrow, I will be meeting AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal at a function, where both of us are invited.”

Asked when Shivakumar will become the CM, Siddaramaiah said, “When the high command says.”

Stating that he was invited by Shivakumar for breakfast, he said, after the breakfast, he and Deputy CM discussed regarding the upcoming legislature session starting from December 8 at Belagavi and the strategy to be adopted, also on organising a meeting of MPs from Karnataka in Delhi on December 8, to discuss on issues concerning the state.

Regarding the cabinet reshuffle, Siddaramaiah said, the high command has to take a decision on it.

Noting that the opposition BJP and JD(S), as per media reports, are planning to move a no-confidence motion against the Government, along with raising several issues, the CM said, the Government will “aggressively” face them.

He said that his government is “pro-farmer” and highlighted the measures taken by the administration to resolve the issues faced by sugarcane and maize farmers in the state. He further alleged that the centre was not doing enough in this regard.

Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah drove down to the Deputy CM’s Sadashivanagar residence here, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother, former Congress MP DK Suresh, and Kunigal MLA HD Ranganath (a relative of Shivakumar). They had breakfast together, which had a combination of veg and non-veg dishes, including idli and country chicken, according to sources.

Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had ensured non-vegetarian food for breakfast with country chicken, despite him being vegetarian.

On the reference made to him and Shivakumar, calling them “brothers”, Siddaramaiah said, “We are always brothers, we are in one party and believe in the same ideology. We will work together. In 2028 (Assembly polls), too we will work together and bring Congress back to power.”

On Monday, Shivakumar had said that he and CM were “working like brothers”, while asserting that there were no groups in the state Congress, and blamed the media for creating confusion.

Shivakumar, who did not speak much, replying to a question on Tuesday, said that all MLAs are united in the Congress party and there are no differences.

Stating that they discussed candidates for four MLC seats, party and Government matters, also the strategy for the legislature session, and meeting of MPs from all parties on issues concerning the state, he said, “We will face the opposition during the session; they have an empty trunk. We are with one voice. There are no differences in the party; it’s only media creation.”

Regarding meeting the high command leaders, Shivakumar said, “They will have to call us.”

Following the initial breakfast meeting on Saturday, at the CM’s official residence, as part of an attempt by the Congress high command to break the logjam over the leadership row involving the two leaders, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had publicly stated that “there won’t be any confusion”, and that they would obey the high command on the leadership issue.

The breakfast meetings are seen as a move by the high command to pause the leadership tussle between the two and signal Siddaramaiah’s continuation as the CM for the time being, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session from December 8.

The power tussle within the ruling party had intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state after the Congress Government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.

The speculation was fuelled by talks of a ‘power-sharing’ agreement said to have been arrived at while the party was elected to power in 2023.

Meanwhile, Home Minister G Parameshwara termed the breakfast meeting as a “good development” and expressed hope that all issues are settled.