All things will be there, says Shivakumar on meeting Rahul, Sonia Gandhi
New Delhi, Dec 15 : Amid the leadership crisis in the Karnataka Congress party, Deputy Chief Minister and the party's state President D.K. Shivakumar has said that he will be meeting the party's high command separately.
While answering a question on whether he will seek separate meetings with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, he stated on Monday in Delhi, “All these things will be there within the party.” When further asked whether this was important at this juncture, Shivakumar replied, “Don’t worry.”
He further said, “I need to meet AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC General Secretary and MP K.C. Venugopal, and others. I have already met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi during lunch yesterday. I have met everyone.”
He stated, “Mallikarjun Kharge ji and I need to go together to Karnataka to attend the funeral of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa. We were supposed to leave Delhi by 8 a.m., but due to cloud cover, the travel has been postponed.”
On responding to the notice issued by the Delhi Police in the National Herald case, Shivakumar said, “Since there is urgency (funeral of Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa), I have been asking them for time. I am seeking time to appear before them after the session. I will also release my reply to the media because they have not attached a copy of the FIR with the notice. We have already given our response to the Enforcement Directorate. I have not received the contents of the FIR and have only information through media reports.”
“I will seek a copy of the FIR, and next week, after the winter Assembly session, I will come to Delhi,” he added.
It can be recalled that the leadership tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar has come to the forefront after party MLA from Ramanagara, Iqbal Hussain, a staunch supporter of Shivakumar, claimed that Shivakumar would assume the post of Chief Minister on January 6, 2026.
The statement has caused ripples in state political circles and within the ruling Congress party.
“The post of Chief Minister should be handed over to Deputy CM Shivakumar. He must be given an opportunity. The high command is responding positively to this demand. There are chances of Shivakumar becoming the Chief Minister on January 6. I am 99 per cent sure about this,” Hussain had stated.
Responding to Hussain’s remarks, Shivakumar said that no one should believe his words. “First, legal action needs to be taken against him. Iqbal Hussain has a habit of talking too much. No one should believe him,” he said.
However, reacting to this, Iqbal Hussain reiterated that he stood by his earlier statement. He said Shivakumar is the State Congress president for all 140 legislators. He also indirectly targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, who had made a controversial statement claiming that the high command had turned down Shivakumar’s demand to become Chief Minister and that his father would continue as CM for the full five-year term.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in damage-control mode, has once again clarified that he will abide by the decision of the party high command. Fingers are crossed over the turn of events in the ruling Congress party.
While answering a question on whether he will seek separate meetings with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, he stated on Monday in Delhi, “All these things will be there within the party.” When further asked whether this was important at this juncture, Shivakumar replied, “Don’t worry.”
He further said, “I need to meet AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC General Secretary and MP K.C. Venugopal, and others. I have already met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi during lunch yesterday. I have met everyone.”
He stated, “Mallikarjun Kharge ji and I need to go together to Karnataka to attend the funeral of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa. We were supposed to leave Delhi by 8 a.m., but due to cloud cover, the travel has been postponed.”
On responding to the notice issued by the Delhi Police in the National Herald case, Shivakumar said, “Since there is urgency (funeral of Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa), I have been asking them for time. I am seeking time to appear before them after the session. I will also release my reply to the media because they have not attached a copy of the FIR with the notice. We have already given our response to the Enforcement Directorate. I have not received the contents of the FIR and have only information through media reports.”
“I will seek a copy of the FIR, and next week, after the winter Assembly session, I will come to Delhi,” he added.
It can be recalled that the leadership tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar has come to the forefront after party MLA from Ramanagara, Iqbal Hussain, a staunch supporter of Shivakumar, claimed that Shivakumar would assume the post of Chief Minister on January 6, 2026.
The statement has caused ripples in state political circles and within the ruling Congress party.
“The post of Chief Minister should be handed over to Deputy CM Shivakumar. He must be given an opportunity. The high command is responding positively to this demand. There are chances of Shivakumar becoming the Chief Minister on January 6. I am 99 per cent sure about this,” Hussain had stated.
Responding to Hussain’s remarks, Shivakumar said that no one should believe his words. “First, legal action needs to be taken against him. Iqbal Hussain has a habit of talking too much. No one should believe him,” he said.
However, reacting to this, Iqbal Hussain reiterated that he stood by his earlier statement. He said Shivakumar is the State Congress president for all 140 legislators. He also indirectly targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, who had made a controversial statement claiming that the high command had turned down Shivakumar’s demand to become Chief Minister and that his father would continue as CM for the full five-year term.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in damage-control mode, has once again clarified that he will abide by the decision of the party high command. Fingers are crossed over the turn of events in the ruling Congress party.