A brief meeting between Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and senior minister Satish Jarkiholi during a wedding ceremony has intensified chatter about internal political maneuvering within the state Congress. Their cordial exchange—coming just two weeks after another meeting on November 25—has reignited debates over the ongoing leadership tussle in the ruling party.
Jarkiholi, known to be close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has been perceived by many as holding differences with Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President.
Both Leaders Downplay Speculation
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar dismissed the political buzz, calling the meeting a routine social interaction:
“We meet often—Cabinet, dinner, breakfast. Yesterday’s meeting was no different.”
He said the conversation revolved around state-centric issues like investment and competition from neighbouring states, not political negotiations.
Jarkiholi echoed the sentiment, saying they only spoke briefly over dinner.
Asked about reports claiming a 15-minute closed-door discussion, he laughed and said it “might have been longer,” but insisted there was nothing unusual about it.
He also rejected speculation that Shivakumar might hand over the KPCC chief post to him, calling such talk “premature.”
Leadership Debate Rekindled
The Congress government crossed the midway point of its five-year tenure on November 20, reigniting speculation surrounding the alleged 2023 power-sharing formula between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. The party high command has reportedly instructed both leaders to present a united front ahead of the December 8 Belagavi legislature session.
Shivakumar also met ministers MB Patil and Priyank Kharge on Friday, prompting fresh theories about him consolidating internal support, though Patil clarified the discussions were purely administrative.
Support From Community Leaders
Later in the day, around 15 seers from backward-community maths met Shivakumar and publicly extended support, with Pranavananda Swamiji of the Idiga community stating that many believe Shivakumar “deserves to be Chief Minister.”
The delegation also urged the government to allocate land for community maths in Bengaluru and requested Shivakumar to lead a proposed backward-communities conclave.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
