NEW DELHI: Karnataka Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain on Friday claimed that deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar will become chief minister after the ongoing winter session of the state legislature, adding fuel to speculation over a possible leadership change within the ruling party.Speaking to reporters, the Ramanagara MLA confirmed that he attended a late-night dinner with Shivakumar and several ministers and legislators. He dismissed suggestions that the meeting was a show of strength. “MLAs from various constituencies have come for the session; it is a rare opportunity for all of us to meet. During the session, we meet each other. We had dinner together. What’s there in that? Can having food together be called a show of strength?” he said.Asked whether Shivakumar shared any political developments during the gathering, Hussain responded, “I’m giving the good news. He will become (CM) after the session, he will become. What’s wrong with it?” He added, “…Shivakumar will get a chance, he will become the chief minister now.”Hussain said 50 to 55 Congress legislators attended the dinner. While party leaders described it as a casual meeting, it took place amid heightened speculation over a power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, particularly after the government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.Reacting to remarks that Shivakumar’s elevation would depend on destiny, Hussain said, “Everything will happen if the god has written in one’s fate…. We are all confident that Shivakumar has a chance for his efforts, struggle, and organizing the party. We have told the same to the high command, the high command will decide.”The MLA reiterated that the Congress remains disciplined and that the final decision on the chief ministership rests with the central leadership. “Numbers are not important here. We should be committed to the decision they make. They have said that everyone should abide by the party discipline and abide by their decision. This is the party culture, too. We will abide by their decision,” he said.The Congress high command has recently attempted to contain the leadership friction, with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar holding breakfast meetings at each other’s residences. The gesture was seen as a signal that Siddaramaiah would continue as chief minister for now, particularly with the Belagavi legislature session underway. The session, which began on December 8, will continue until December 19.
Karnataka deputy CM, ministers, Congress MLAs meet over dinner: PTI sources
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and over 30 Congress legislators, including some ministers, met for a dinner late on Thursday night, party sources told PTI.Ministers KH Muniyappa, Mankal Vaidya, Dr MC Sudhakar, MLAs NA Haris, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, HC Balakrishna, Ganesh Hukkeri, Darshan Dhruvanarayana, Ashok Kumar Rai, KY Nanjegowda were among those present in the meeting, the sources added.Expelled BJP MLAs ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar also attended the dinner, they said.The dinner meeting came a day after CM Siddaramaiah, along with ministers and a few legislators considered close to him, met for a dinner hosted by former Belagavi North MLA Feroz Sait.Though leaders term it a casual dinner meeting, speculation is rife as it had taken place amid a power tussle in the ruling party, over the CM post.There were speculations about a change in chief minister when the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, as it was believed that there was a powersharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar after the grand old party won the Assembly election in 2023.As the government crossed this crucial date, activities intensified in Congress, and both the CM and the Deputy CM met over breakfast at each other’s residences, on the instructions of the high command. This was seen as a move to pause the leadership tussle between the two and to signal Siddaramaiah’s continuation as the CM for the time being, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session.
