Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah, deputy DK Shivakumar to meet for breakfast again today

KArnataka chief government minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to see his surrogate D K Shivakumar’s abode on dec 2 “to present a unified front” amid an ongoing power tussle, people aware of the details said on Monday, adding that this is a follow up to a breakfast meeting the two held last week, which did not result in a resolution on the leadership standoff.At the meetings, which have been initiated at the orders of the Congress leadership in Delhi after months of competing claims from supporters of both leaders, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are expected to continue their negotiation after which they will send a communication to the high command, the people cited above said.Shivakumar later described the engagement as a private matter “between brothers,” insisting there was no “groupism” within the government and that such meetings would continue. In an interview about Tuesday’s meeting, he joked that the menu would include “Natti chicken for breakfast,” and added that a trip to Delhi had not yet been scheduled.The leadership question re-emerged after Siddaramaiah completed half of his term in November. Legislators close to Shivakumar have argued that the Congress high command had offered an informal understanding that the chief ministership would be given to him during the government’s tenure. Shivakumar has publicly dismissed suggestions of a power tussle, saying that he, the CM and the “entire state” remained united, while acknowledging that he continues to seek guidance from the party’s national leadership.Siddaramaiah has rejected claims of any agreement to share the term and has maintained he will complete five years in office. After the November 29 breakfast meet, he said the conversation focused on preparing for the 2028 state elections. “Our agenda is the 2028 elections. Local body elections are important. We discussed them. We also discussed bringing back Congress in the 2028 elections. We discussed that we would go together. There are no differences between us and there will be no differences in the future,” he had said.Meanwhile, Shivakumar said he had requested meetings with two Union ministers in New Delhi and would travel there once the appointments were confirmed, preferably before the legislature’s Winter Session begins on December 8. Both he and the CM have reiterated that decisions on leadership will be determined by the Congress high command. “The high command asked us to settle the confusion. From tomorrow, there won’t be any confusion,” Siddaramaiah said after their meeting on Saturday.Party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who has been closely engaged in the matter, met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on November 29. Legislators from Shivakumar’s camp also travelled to the capital recently in an attempt to push for a midterm change, while Siddaramaiah’s supporters have rejected the idea.“Congress leaders in Delhi are examining a range of options, including potential cabinet adjustments and organisational changes within the state unit, to manage the tensions and stabilise the government,” said a leader in the know of the development. Within the cabinet, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the disagreements were minor and had been addressed. “There is no factionalism or dissenting activity in the Congress. Everyone is united,” he said on Monday.He added that Siddaramaiah had handled the situation with maturity. Responding to the public pressure from religious leaders, he said their views were part of the democratic process but emphasized that the party’s central leadership would take decisions “at the appropriate time in the interest of the party and the state.” Lunch and breakfast meetings, he noted, did not carry any special significance: “All discussions take place there. Just because they are like that doesn’t mean there is any dissatisfaction.”