Bengaluru, February 12: Amid ongoing leadership tensions in Karnataka, Congress legislator Iqbal Hussain claimed on Thursday that around 80 to 90 party members are in favor of appointing Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar as Chief Minister.
Hussain, a supporter of Shivakumar, stated that many legislators believe he deserves the position due to his struggle and hard work. Speaking to reporters in Ramnagar, he emphasized that this change would benefit the government’s functioning and is essential in light of the upcoming elections. “We are advocating for Shivakumar to become Chief Minister. I am unsure about which legislators are aligned with Siddaramaiah, and it’s also unclear how many support Shivakumar,” he said.
He added, “All 140 legislators are hoping for a change, and approximately 80 to 90 are discussing the leadership transition. We are all backing Shivakumar.”
Meanwhile, sources indicate that the Congress leadership is taking the foreign trip of several legislators, considered close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, seriously. Randeep Singh Surjewala, the party’s Karnataka in-charge and AICC General Secretary, has requested the names of those who participated in the trip.
Sources also revealed that this foreign trip was organized to quell discussions regarding leadership in the state. It was noted that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had initiated meetings related to budget preparations well ahead of the special session.
On another note, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar did not attend a meeting related to his department, stating he had obtained prior permission for his absence.
Surjewala has sought detailed information regarding the nature of the foreign trip, the affiliations of the participating legislators, and whether the trip was politically motivated.
State Animal Husbandry Minister K. Venkatesh mentioned that some leaders had invited him to join the foreign trip, but he declined. He clarified that the trip was not organized by his ministry. Responding to the issue of legislators traveling abroad, the Chief Minister stated that the legislators and council members are traveling at their own expense.
Amid signs of a potential leadership change in Karnataka, D.K. Shivakumar revealed that he met with party leaders at Sonia Gandhi’s residence, 10 Janpath, in New Delhi. He remarked, “Time will provide the answer.”
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