With Siddaramaiah and DKS by side, KC Venugopal denies Karnataka CM change buzz

AReplete(p) daylight of consultations betwixt the us congress heights command and Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar ended on Tuesday evening with a firm denial by the party that it discussed a change in the state’s leadership arrangement, insisting that the discussions were strictly confined to strategies for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.The assertion was interpreted as suggesting that the party would maintain the status quo for now.According to people familiar with the discussions, the Congress leadership heard the positions of Siddaramaiah and deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar through a series of separate and joint meetings at the All India Congress Committee headquarters.“Whatever speculation you people are doing, that is only speculation. No reality at all,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said.Venugopal maintained that the talks in Delhi were linked to electoral matters concerning Karnataka, particularly upcoming Rajya Sabha and legislative council vacancies.“Today we discussed about the Rajya Sabha seats and the council seats of Karnataka. The candidates of Rajya Sabha and council seats of Karnataka will be announced along with the other seats like Chhattisgarh, like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, like these states. That’s all,” he said.The day’s discussions began at Indira Bhavan with Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge meeting Venugopal and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala before broader consultations with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.Siddaramaiah later held a separate meeting with Gandhi as discussions continued across multiple sessions through the afternoon.Gandhi left the headquarters briefly for lunch while Kharge, Venugopal, Surjewala, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar remained inside for further deliberations over a working lunch.Also Read:Siddaramaiah’s Rajya Sabha move likely, but Shivakumar may still not be CM: What next in Karnataka?After lunch, Gandhi, Kharge and Venugopal held another round of discussions without Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar present, according to those aware of the developments at the headquarters.The consultations unfolded against the backdrop of continuing debate within the Karnataka Congress over the structure of leadership in the state government, cabinet expansion and appointments to the Rajya Sabha and Karnataka legislative council.Siddaramaiah, before leaving Bengaluru for Delhi earlier in the day, on speculation surrounding the CM’s post, said, “Speculation has always been there.”Siddaramaiah has also maintained in recent remarks that the final decision on Karnataka’s leadership rested entirely with the Congress leadership in Delhi.“The leadership change issue should be decided by Rahul Gandhi. Whatever he decides, we are committed to it,” he said.Shivakumar, who repeatedly faced questions over whether he expects to become CM, responded earlier this week with a brief remark that continued to circulate through Tuesday’s political discussions. “Time will answer,” he said.After arriving in Delhi, Shivakumar was again asked whether he expected to assume CM’s post. He refused to answer.Karnataka minister Satish Jarkiholi said that the Delhi consultations could help clear the uncertainty within the Karnataka Congress unit.