DK Shivakumar brushes off support calls, says he'll follow Congress wishes
Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said that he was not looking for anyone's support and that he worked as per the wishes of the Congress party, speaking out amid public voices of resistance within the cabinet to his ambitions to succeed chief minister Siddaramaiah.
The CM is scheduled to present the state budget in March and there is speculation that the party might begin preparations to replace him with Shivakumar in the following months. Shivakumar is also the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.
A dinner meeting was organised by public works department minister Satish Jarkiholi and another was planned by home minister G Parameshwara, both tall leaders from the Scheduled Caste (SC)/Schedule Tribe (ST) communities. Parameshwara's meeting, however, got cancelled on intervention by the All India Congress Committee general secretary RS Surjewala, reportedly on complaints from Shivakumar.
Cooperation minister KN Rajanna, another leader from the SC/ST community, has publicly protested any change in the middle of the term and told the media that Shivakumar should not eye a 30-month tenure but instead work for a full five-year term after 2028, when the state will face assembly polls. Industries minister MB Patil has openly canvassed for Siddaramaiah's continuation during this term and beyond.
The efforts to hold dinner meetings by SC/ST ministers are seen as an effort to prevent any change in leadership and pitch for a Dalit CM if the high command were to opt for a change.
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