Amid growing speculation over the chief minister’s post in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that he was travelling to New Delhi to attend a private function, a development that promptly drew a pointed response from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Shivakumar insisted that the purpose of his visit was purely personal—to attend a wedding—and to hold preliminary discussions for an upcoming Congress event. However, when asked about his own plans to visit the national capital, Siddaramaiah remarked that he would travel to Delhi only if formally invited or summoned.
These exchanges come at a time when the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has completed two-and-a-half years in office, and persistent rumours continue to swirl about a possible leadership change or rotation of the chief minister’s post.
Despite the underlying tension, both leaders have publicly maintained cordial relations, recently hosting each other for breakfast at their respective Bengaluru residences as a show of unity.
Speaking to reporters at the airport before departing for Delhi, Shivakumar stated, “Going to Delhi today for a private function; there is no political importance to this.” Nevertheless, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, responding to questions from the media about whether he too would be heading to the capital, said, “Let him (Shivakumar) go. I will go only if I receive a call. I have not received a call so far.”
While Shivakumar was in Delhi, Siddaramaiah travelled to Mangaluru to participate in a function marking the centenary of the historic meeting between social reformer Sri Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi.
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The Congress party in Karnataka has been grappling with visible internal differences over the power-sharing arrangement, with senior leaders frequently travelling to Delhi to meet the party’s central leadership.
At the Mangaluru event, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal delivered the keynote address and later had lunch with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Siddaramaiah further clarified that any official directive from the party high command for a meeting in Delhi would be communicated through Venugopal.
Meanwhile, elaborating on the purpose of his Delhi visit, Shivakumar told the media that besides attending a wedding, he would also take part in discussions at the Congress headquarters regarding a major rally scheduled for December 14 at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan as part of the party’s ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) campaign.
Also Read: Siddaramaiah visits Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast