Deputy CM says Congress high command will decide leadership matters in state
BENGALURU
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday addressed speculation over a potential leadership change in Karnataka, asserting that he was not seeking any post and that the Congress high command would take the final call. “I don’t want anything. I am not hurrying anything. My party will make the decision. I don’t want any community angle. Congress is my community, and my love is for all sections of society,” Shivakumar told reporters.
The remarks come as the Congress government crosses the halfway mark of its tenure on November 20, fueling renewed discussion over the state’s power-sharing formula. Shivakumar emphasized that his upcoming Delhi visit was focused on Karnataka’s development concerns ahead of Parliament’s Winter Session, not the leadership question. “I will definitely go to Delhi. It is our temple. Congress has a long history, and Delhi will always guide us,” he said, adding that he plans to meet MPs to push stalled state projects.
Talk of a leadership transition resurfaced after the 63-year-old posted on X about the importance of keeping one’s word, widely interpreted as a subtle reminder of a reported promise to make him Chief Minister for the second half of the government’s five-year term. “Keeping one’s word is the greatest strength in the world! Be it a judge, president or anyone else including myself, everyone has to walk the talk. Word power is World power,” Shivakumar wrote.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated that any decision on the CM post rests with the high command, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, and need not be discussed publicly.
“I will definitely go to Delhi. It is our temple. Congress has a long history, and Delhi will always guide us.”- DK Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister