Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar attended a late-night dinner on Thursday evening alongside more than forty MLAs at the farmhouse of Congress leader Praveen Doddananavar. When approached by reporters, however, Shivakumar maintained that the dinner was a purely social occasion.
The large gathering included senior party leaders and legislators such as ST Somashekhar, Shivaram Hebbar, Harris, Magadi Balakrishna, Iqbal Hussain, Ganiga Ravi, Dinesh Gooligowda, and Ravi, among others. The event extended late into the night, which featured an informal interactions and camaraderie within the party’s legislative wing.
Later, addressing reporters, Shivakumar stated, "Nothing political, went to have dinner after a Congress leader invited me," emphasising that there was no agenda linked to party affairs or legislative strategy.
The event occurs amid heightened attention on Karnataka’s political developments, particularly debates surrounding leadership roles within the state Congress and legislative initiatives.
Earlier, Shivakumar had responded to remarks made by MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah regarding the Chief Minister’s post, saying that "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will respond" to him.
Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, who is also the son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had previously stated that the Chief Minister would continue in office for the full five-year term. The recent tensions began after Yathindra said on Monday that those predicting a change in the Chief Minister’s post were "dreaming." He claimed the Congress high command had already made it clear there would be no change in state leadership. Yathindra also noted that while Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has expressed aspiration for the Chief Minister’s post, the high command has clarified that this is not the appropriate time and confirmed there would be no change in the Chief Minister. Shivakumar made his brief comment on the issue on Thursday while speaking to reporters at the Circuit House and Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi, where the winter session of the state legislature is underway.
Turning to the controversy over the Hate Speech Prevention Bill, which the state government is preparing to introduce, Shivakumar strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for opposing the proposal.
Also read: Centre at fault for Maize farmer’s crisis: Shivakumar
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