Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday downplayed the significance of his meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, a meeting that took place amidst speculation of a leadership change in the southern state. Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress president, said the meeting on Sunday was held solely to discuss party matters. Reluctant to share details of his discussion with the party president, Shivakumar merely stated, "we are all there if the party is there."
The meeting comes as the Congress government in Karnataka nears the halfway mark of its five-year term in November, a point being dubbed by some as the "November revolution." Speculations have been rife over Shivakumar's possible elevation as Chief Minister, in line with a rumoured 2023 power-sharing agreement with CM Siddaramaiah.
According to several party insiders, if the Congress high command approves a cabinet reshuffle, it would signal that the incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will complete the full term, scuppering the chances of Shivakumar for the top post.
"It is natural for the party state president to meet the national president, nothing special. There were some party matters like inauguration of party offices, also some trust-related matters. Other than that, nothing," Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi when asked about his meeting with Kharge. To a query about the meeting amid speculation regarding a cabinet reshuffle and leadership change, he merely reiterated, "nothing... if the party is there, we are all there."
Talks have persisted within the state's political circles, particularly within the ruling Congress, for some time now about a change in Chief Minister, citing a "power-sharing" agreement supposedly involving CM Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital to discuss state-specific issues. Regarding the CM's meeting with the PM, the Deputy CM said, "CM told me too (to join), but I have some family commitment, I will see if I can go."
Asked whether the state's irrigation and water projects will be discussed during the CM's meeting with the PM, Shivakumar, who holds the Water Resources portfolio, said, "We (water resources department) have prepared on the matter and given it to the CM."
Shivakumar also noted that he will be meeting Senior Advocate Shyam Divan to thank him following a favourable Supreme Court order in the Mekedatu case. "We will also discuss with him the way forward and seek his advice," the Deputy CM said. The Supreme Court had rejected a plea by the Tamil Nadu government against the construction of the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Project across the Cauvery river by Karnataka on Thursday, terming it "premature."
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