Karnataka Power Tussle: Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar Summoned by Congress High Command

The exchange of "words" on social media between the leaders also didn't go down well with top brass.

Bengaluru:

Amid an intense power tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, both have received calls from the Congress high command to resolve the apparent rift, sources said. After the nudge from the high command, Siddamaiah has invited Shivakumar for a meeting over breakfast tomorrow.

The top brass have also reportedly criticized the senior leaders for a literal war of "words".

On Thursday, Shivakumar wrote on X, "Keeping one's word is the greatest strength in the world! Word power is world power... The biggest force in the world was to keep one's word."

"Be a judge, president or anyone else, including myself, everyone has to walk the talk. Word power is world power," he wrote, in an apparent reminder to the Congress high command about a rumored power-sharing agreement in 2023 when both Siddaramaiah and he eyed the Chief Minister's chair after the party won the state polls.

Read | "She Sacrificed Power": DK Shivakumar's Sonia Gandhi Note In Karnataka Row

Siddaramaiah responded soon after, with a cryptic post of his own: "A word is not power unless it betters the world for the people."

"The mandate given by the people of Karnataka is not a moment, but a responsibility that lasts five full years," read his post, which was seen as a direct attack on Shivakumar.

The exchange of "words" on social media also didn't sit well with the party leadership, sources informed NDTV.

Both leaders have now been instructed to display unity ahead of potential meetings in Delhi in the coming days.

Siddaramaiah's Breakfast Invitation To Shivakumar

This evening, the Chief Minister revealed that the high command has directed him to meet Shivakumar to discuss the issue. "So, I have called him (Shivakumar) for a breakfast meeting. When he comes for breakfast, we will discuss this."

"There is no change in my stand and I have said I will listen to whatever the high command says. Both of us have said that we will obey whatever the party high command says," Siddaramaiah stated, adding he would travel to Delhi if summoned by the high command.

For his part, DK Shivakumar clarified today that he is not seeking anything and is not in a hurry. "The party workers may be eager, but I am in no hurry. The party will take all the decisions," DK Shivakumar told reporters.

The Rumored 'Formula'

In 2023, reports emerged suggesting a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar would assume the Chief Minister role after 2.5 years, though the party has never officially confirmed this arrangement.

Speculation intensified this month after the Congress government in Karnataka reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. The rumors escalated into a full power struggle fueled by public statements from various leaders, caste groups, and religious figures.

When questioned about the alleged formula, Shivakumar avoided giving a direct answer and instead mentioned a "secret deal."

"I have not asked to make me the Chief Minister. It is a secret deal between five and six of us. I don't want to speak publicly on this. I believe in my conscience. We should work with our conscience. I don't want to cause embarrassment to the party in any way and weaken it. If the party is there, we are there. If karyakartas are there, we are there," he said.

Earlier this month, a group of six Congress legislators supporting Shivakumar reportedly traveled to Delhi to meet the high command, according to sources. When asked about this, Shivakumar claimed he was unaware of it and suggested they might be seeking ministerial positions.