Why Is Congress Pushing for ‘Breakfasts’ to Settle Karnataka Tussle? Sidda–DKS Meet 2 Ends With ‘Nothing’

Karnataka’s ruling duo - Chief Minister Siddaramiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar - once again tried to display unity over a breakfast spread, but the power struggle simmering beneath the surface remains far from resolved. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar met for the second time in four days - a plan said to be orchestrated by the Congress high command to douse speculation of a leadership change in Karnataka. Despite warm smiles and carefully worded assurances of running the government “unitedly,” the political takeaway from the meeting appeared thin, even as both leaders brace for an aggressive Opposition in the upcoming Assembly session.Read More -Why Congress Can't Rush On Karnataka CM – A Mistake From The Past?There

was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May 2023, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the deputy CM.There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar would become CM after 2.5 years, but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.The issue of change of leadership had been going on for the past two months but intensified after November 20 when the Congress government completed two-and-half years. The Congress high command on Friday intervened and asked the two leaders to resolve the issue by talking to each other. After both the meetings, both leaders signalled that they will abide by the decision of the Congress high command on the leadership issue.

Karnataka's 2nd Breakfast Meeting in 4 Days

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday visited his deputy D K Shivakumar's residence for breakfast, just days after the two broke bread in the wake of a raging power tussle.Siddaramaiah drove down to the Deputy CM's Sadashivanagar residence in Bengaluru, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother and former Congress MP D K Suresh. Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath (a relative of Shivakumar), joined the two leaders for breakfast, which apparently had a combination of veg and non-veg dishes.While talking to reporters after the breakfast meet, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "There are no differences. DK Shivakumar and I are united. We are running the government. In the future also, we will run the government unitedly."

Siddaramaiah said that party-related matters were discussed. "We discussed party-related matters. More importantly, the Assembly session is starting next Monday. They said they will bring a no-confidence motion. BJP and JD(S) are planning to oppose whatever decisions we take. Our government is pro-farmer. We also discussed issues related to maize and sugarcane," he said."After breakfast, we discussed the assembly session... It was decided that we should call a meeting of the MPs on December 8... Both of us will accept the reason taken by the high command, especially Rahul, Sonia, Priyanka and Mallikarjun Kharge... If they (the party high command) call us (to Delhi), we will definitely go. Tomorrow I am meeting KC Venugopal at a function where both of us are invited..." he added.

Congress High Command Keeping Safe Distance?

Though Siddaramaiah's visit is being projected as a reciprocal visit, after Shivakumar visited the CM's official residence three days ago for a similar breakfast meeting, the political ramifications of it are being keenly watched. Notably, the breakfast meetings are taking place as per the directions of the Congress high command amid the ongoing speculations regarding a possible change-of-guards in Karnataka.Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have repeatedly said they will abide by the party leadership’s decision, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has publicly stated that he will discuss the matter with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Yet, there has been no official word from the top brass. On Tuesday as well, Siddaramaiah said that they will abide by the decision of the Congress high command on the leadership issue, he said, Shivakumar will become the CM, when the high command decides.

For now, the Congress leadership appears to be maintaining a deliberate distance from the tug-of-war — subtly nudging the two leaders to soothe tensions on their own, wary that stepping in and picking sides could alienate one of the two powerful camps within the party.

BJP Gathers Ammo

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that it was just a "trailer". "This is just a teaser, the full picture showing Congress's condition will release soon...If the CM and Dy CM are engaged in breakfast meetings, then when will they work for the welfare of the people? 'Karnataka ka natak' should finish soon...Where is the high command (of Congress)?" former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai said.