D.K. Shivakumar
| Photo Credit: file photo
Amidst leadership tussle in the Congress, Deputy Chief Minister and chief ministerial aspirant D.K. Shivakumar who was in Delhi to meet Union Ministers, surprised everyone on Wednesday by dismissing speculation about leadership change in Karnataka and asserted that there was no tussle for the chief ministerial post.
“Where is this speculation? (about change of Chief Minister) The speculation is only in the media; there is no speculation in the party or anywhere in the government,” Mr Shivakumar maintained, while addressing a press conference at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi.
In reply to a question on whether he would be happy continuing as Deputy Chief Minister for the remaining full term, Mr Shivakumar said, “I love being a party worker more than holding any position in the party. That is a permanent position for me. Since 1980, I have been a party worker and will continue to be a party worker in the future as well.”
In reply to a question on whether he would be meeting central leaders of the party, he said, “I am not meeting anyone in the party high command. I am not meeting anyone because I don’t think anyone is here. I will not meet any national leaders in Delhi, as no one is currently in the city. AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge is in Bengaluru. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived just yesterday, and I don’t want to disturb him.”
It may be noted that the tussle over leadership had intensified during the recently concluded Winter Session of the State legislature in Belagavi after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared on the floor of the Assembly that he would complete the full term as Chief Minister and ruled out any pact on power-sharing after the mid-term. Mr. Shivakumar had then sternly reacted to this by asserting that such a pact indeed existed.
Asked about recent breakfast meetings between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and himself, Mr. Shivakumar said, “It’s routine; we meet you, we meet the Chief Minister, we meet the common man, we meet businessmen, bureaucrats…all meeting, sharing, caring… all part of life.”
Asked about power sharing after completion of the mid-term of the five-year term of the government, he said, “I can’t disclose what all was discussed at such meetings. We are all united and will continue to work together. We brought the party to power together. Every party worker in the State has given their sweat and efforts, and all of them have supported me. I am grateful to the people of the State for giving us a massive mandate. Whatever we promised, we have delivered, and we will continue to do so.”
He also said, “The high command has given us a free hand. It is not just Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah — all legislators and candidates have made sacrifices to bring us to power.”
On questions related to MP Priyanka Gandhi’s role or speculation about her being projected as prime ministerial candidate, Mr Shivakumar said, “I am not aware of these issues. My leader is the AICC president, and my Leader of Opposition [in the Lok Sabha] is Rahul Gandhi.”
The Deputy Chief Minister claimed that his visit to Delhi was purely administrative and not political.
In a related development in Bengaluru, Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Wednesday said the Congress high command’s decision was final on the Chief Minister’s post.
He was responding to a question about whether the Congress president was unhappy with the developments in the State Congress, amid the ongoing power tussle involving Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar.
“He (Mr. Kharge) is the AICC president, which means he is our high command. Along with him, Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are in the leadership. Whatever they decide is final,” Dr. Parameshwara told reporters.
Published – December 24, 2025 09:22 pm IST
