Speculation over CM post will hurt party for Lok Sabha elections, says Congress' DK Shivakumar
Deputy Chief minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday expressed his disappointment at the ongoing speculation around the chief minister post in a meeting with CM Siddaramaiah, Home minister G Parameshwar, and Cooperatives minister KN Rajanna. Sources in the know told ET that the deputy CM said the debate would negatively affect the Congress party’s chances in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The speculation around the tiff between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar over the CM post, which originally started after the Congress won the assembly polls this May, had picked up again on Thursday after the CM announced he would hold office for the full five year term. While he retracted his statement on Friday, the damage had been done.
Congress leaders like IT minister Priyank Kharge have been trying to put out the flames, saying they would take the job if the party high command said so.
The deputy CM also gave a statement refuting rumours of a rift within the party. “When we speak to the media, we will stick to the stand [AICC general secretary] RS Surjewala advised and inform them final decisions are with the party high command,” he said in the meeting on Saturday.
Surjewala on Wednesday had cautioned party leaders not to speak out against the party's decisions, warning them of «strict disciplinary action» otherwise. In September this year, Venugopal had asked the state’s ministers and Congress leaders not to comment on the post of the chief minister and the number of deputy CMs as it would hurt the image of the party regime in the southern state.
Lok Sabha candidate selections
Earlier in the day Siddaramaiah held a breakfast meeting with 15 ministers, who presented likely candidates for the Lok Sabha polls from their regions. The
