Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday acknowledged that he spoke to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, but refused to divulge the details of the conversation.
Calling it a private matter between him and Gandhi, Shivakumar said: “I won’t deny that I spoke to Rahul Gandhi but can’t disclose what we spoke. It’s between him and me.”
He was referring to his brief one-on-one with the senior Congress MP on the tarmac of the Mysuru airport, while the latter was preparing to leave for New Delhi on his way back from Tamil Nadu.
Shivakumar said he is scheduled to meet Gandhi again on Friday (January 16) in New Delhi. “I’m meeting him tomorrow, everyone else will also be present for the Assam meeting,” he said, making it clear that the interaction
was part of ongoing organisational engagements.
Downplaying the significance of the conversation, he said there was nothing unusual about it. “It’s not new that I’ve met Rahul Gandhi, meeting him, talking to him over phone, all this common,” he said. Asked if he will place his aspirations before Gandhi, he lightheartedly said: “I will place your desires also.”
The deputy chief minister’s remarks follow intense speculation of leadership change in Karnataka, with him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pitched opposite each other in a political tussle. The visual of him and Gandhi standing near the helicopter on the tarmac quickly set off discussions within political circles.
According to witnesses, as Gandhi’s helicopter landed, Shivakumar, who was waiting near the helipad, moved ahead of other officials and dignitaries to reach the Congress leader first. Although Siddaramaiah was also present at the airport, he reportedly stood at a distance while Shivakumar and Gandhi had a private chat for at least five minutes.
The timing of the conversation drew attention as it came shortly after the chief minister publicly dismissed suggestions of any political agenda behind Gandhi’s visit. Addressing reporters in Mysuru, he said there was no confusion within the party and blamed the media for fuelling speculation.
“It’s a baseless question you’re asking. There is no confusion in the party, it’s just in the papers. Neither I nor DK Shivakumar should speak about it. But have we spoken? No, right? It is us who will get the info. Ultimately, we will abide by whatever the high command decides. MLAs won’t know anything. Would the high command tell them anything? No. The media is creating confusion. Not anyone else,” Siddaramaiah said.
He referred to his personal rapport with Shivakumar, saying they regularly meet and have agreed to follow the party leadership’s decisions.
“I went to have breakfast at DK Shivakumar’s residence and he came to mine. We both have decided to abide by whatever the high command decides,” he said.
