There is no problem between us, the two most important leaders in the Karnataka government said after sharing a power breakfast this morning.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he doesn't talk while eating. His deputy, DK Shivakumar, who sources said will eventually get the top post in a smooth transition of power without melodrama, said there had been "some confusion" for the last one month or so, which has been cleared now.
"We sat down to discuss it. Our aim is to win in the corporation, gram panchayat and the 2028 election," Shivakumar said.
Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar invited him for lunch first, after which the chief minister instead insisted for breakfast at his place.
"I told him I will have lunch at his house one day," Siddaramaiah said.
An hour earlier, a photo of the two leaders enjoying a serving of upma, idli and kesari bath - the cornerstone of breakfast in Karnataka - came out from the meeting to broadcast a subliminal message that all is well between the two leaders.
"High Command"
The two Congress leaders mentioned "high command" at least 56 times, which could mean they have left their political fate in the hands of the party's leadership in Delhi. In the meantime, the two leaders are expected to show a united Congress in the southern state to face the election in 2028.
"Both of us worked in the assembly election. Similarly, we want to fight the 2028 election together. We have no differences. Till date there were no differences and going forward also there won't be any differences," Shivakumar told reporters.
All signs indicate there is going to be a clear transition to power in Shivakumar's favour, sources said.
While the two leaders in the breakfast meeting were likely to work out the details of what was being referred to as the Shivakumar-Siddaramaiah compromise formula, they did not reveal anything concrete at their post-breakfast interaction with reporters.
Till the time the transition happens, Shivakumar will remain a deputy to Siddaramaiah, sources said. The Congress does not want a public spectacle in its Karnataka unit - one of the few states where the party is in power, sources said, adding that unseating a longtime Congress leader like Siddaramaiah abruptly would hurt the party.
Sources said Shivakumar likely agreed to the transition backed by Siddaramaiah due to many compelling reasons - his loyalists get more cabinet berths in reshuffle, he remains state Congress chief, he doesn't have the numbers for a hostile move against the chief minister, and for the simple reason that it appears to be the best deal Shivakumar could get under any circumstances.
Shivakumar is expected to fly to Delhi to meet the party's central leaders this evening. Siddaramaiah won't go for sure, sources said, as he is already in a comfortable position.
The transition will be tested on many fronts - from how much trust Shivakumar can afford to place on the chief minister to acceptance of the arrangements by their support base.
Siddaramaiah isn't easy from the party's point of view, given the caste calculus. He's seen as the most powerful face of the 'AHINDA' political alignment, a formation that comprises major caste and religious blocs, aimed at challenging the domination of the Lingayat sect and the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Vokkaligas.
Shivakumar is the face of the OBC Vokkaliga community, and the Congress cannot alienate this group.
© Copyright NDTV Convergence Limited 2025. All rights reserved.
