Karnataka Power Dynamics: The Culinary Side of Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar's Breakfast Diplomacy

Siddaramaiah revealed an interesting detail about the chicken's origin during his breakfast meetings with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Bengaluru:

The recent breakfast meetings between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, held within a four-day span, have garnered attention not only for their political significance regarding the power dynamics in Karnataka but also for their culinary offerings.

Both leaders openly discussed the menu items when questioned by reporters, with Siddaramaiah sharing particularly interesting information about the sourcing of the chicken served.

According to PTI sources, Tuesday's breakfast at Shivakumar's residence featured 'nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry), known to be one of Siddaramaiah's favorite dishes. The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, idlis, vada, and pongal, a traditional rice and lentil preparation.

When asked about the differences between the two breakfast meetings, Siddaramaiah explained, "At his house, it was non-vegetarian, while at my house, it was vegetarian. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK (Shivakumar) to get chicken from the village as you won't get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar mentioned that he had initially extended an invitation to the Chief Minister to visit his residence, but Siddaramaiah had suggested meeting at his own house first. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the chief minister's house on Saturday," Shivakumar noted.

"Today, I invited him to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," added the Deputy Chief Minister.

Siddaramaiah, who hails from a village in Mysuru district, also pointed out that Shivakumar's wife is from Mysuru as well.

Saturday's breakfast at Siddaramaiah's residence featured idli, upma, and kesari baat (a semolina-based breakfast dessert), among other items.

While the political outcomes of these breakfast discussions remain unclear, sources informed NDTV that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar will travel to Delhi for meetings with Congress leadership, including party President Mallikarjun Kharge and Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, on December 8. This will be preceded by a meeting with senior Congress figure KC Venugopal.

Siddaramaiah reaffirmed his commitment to abide by the party high command's decisions. "Both of us will accept the decision taken by the party, especially Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge," the Chief Minister stated.

(With inputs from PTI)