A day after Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar met senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at her residence in Delhi, Deccan Herald reported that chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar have sought separate appointments with top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday fuelling speculation about leadership change in the state.
The two leaders couldn't meet Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday as he was leading the rally by Mahagathbandhan in Bihar's Patna against Election Commission's decision to undertake a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state.
The meeting comes amid reports that Shivakumar has been pressing for the chief minister's post, based on an 'understanding' within the party that he would take over the role after two-and-a-half years of the current term.
The CM arrived in the national capital to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while Shivakumar is in Delhi since Tuesday, meeting union ministers to discuss issues concerning his department. The two leaders will be in Delhi over the next two days, to meet top leaders of the Congress.
“I am here to meet the Defence Minister. I have also sought an appointment with Rahul Gandhi. I am planning to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the state’s pending issues and have sought an appointment with him,” the chief minister told reporters in the national capital.
However, Shivakumar remained tight-lipped about the details of the discussion. "I visited the place," he merely said. The Karnataka Congress has been under scrutiny over reports of a rotational chief minister arrangement between Shivakumar and current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah following the party's victory in the 2023 Assembly elections.
On Wednesday, Surjewala was in Bengaluru, holding meetings with ministers and MLAs to address their grievances. Four pending nominations to the Legislative Council will also be finalised before the next legislature session, it is said.
While both leaders have publicly denied any such formal agreement, speculation continues to persist within party circle. The Deputy CM, who played a crucial role in the Congress' return to power in Karnataka, has been considered a key contender for the chief minister's position.
The meeting assumes significance as the Congress government in Karnataka approaches the halfway mark of its five-year term, with internal discussions about leadership roles expected to intensify in the coming months.
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