DKS skips key pre-budget meet over election duties

DEputy chief government minister DK Shivakumar on tues skipped a francis scott key pre-budget get together of his departments and left wing for New Delhi to attend an All India Congress Committee (AICC) election meeting.Speaking to reporters before departing, he said that officials from his departments would attend the consultation chaired by chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio. “ have held budget meetings with officials from the departments, and they will be present (at the meeting with CM). I will come back and discuss with him,” he said, noting he had sought the chief minister’s permission to skip the meeting.He also asserted that there was “no confusion” over Karnataka’s leadership, adding that he and chief minister Siddaramaiah had already discussed the matter with the party high command.“Election dates may be announced any time, we have reached that stage. I have been to Kerala. I have to go to Assam,” Shivakumar added.Siddaramaiah confirmed receiving a letter from Shivakumar explaining his absence. “A meeting on the budget will be held in his absence,” he said, adding that the deputy chief minister was travelling in his capacity as a senior Congress observer for the Assam assembly elections.The visit coincides with renewed talk within the ruling Congress about a possible leadership change after the government crossed the halfway point of its five-year term in November 2025. The speculation has been tied to a reported power-sharing understanding reached at the time of the government‘s accession in 2023. It intensified after MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah recently said his father would complete his full term, claiming the high command had indicated as much.Reiterating his position on the matter, Shivakumar said, “I know what Siddaramaiah and I have discussed. We have not discussed it secretly. We have discussed involving our party leadership. Others taking tension and making statements on the issue won’t help anyone.” He added, “There is no confusion. Others may have confusion, I don’t have any confusion.”He warned party members against public remarks. “Whoever is making statements, either in my favour or against me, whether they are ministers or legislators or whoever it is, they are damaging the party. Such statements won’t do any good for the party. Mallikarjun Kharge had said that it will be good if everyone shut their mouth. We should all abide by it.”On Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain’s question about why he received a party notice for backing Shivakumar while Yathindra Siddaramaiah did not face similar action, the deputy chief minister said, “Let’s ask the high command about it.” Hussain had earlier been served a notice for publicly supporting Shivakumar’s elevation.In Bengaluru, responding to repeated questions on the leadership issue, Siddaramaiah said, “High command’s decision is the final one,” and indicated he would not travel to New Delhi unless formally invited.Asked whether he expected to meet senior leaders during his visit, Shivakumar said, “Once I go there, I will meet every one possible. Parliament session is also on, and will certainly meet if they are free.”To legislators expecting “good news,” he said, “Every day is good news for me. Every day is a good life for me. Every day is a good beginning for me. Every day is a successful day for me. So every day is good, happy, also every day is difficult, as nothing is easy. To resolve the difficulties of the people every day, there will be a lot of difficulties and issues, there will be obstacles, criticism. We have to face them and continue with our work.”