Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressing presspersons at his residence in Kalaburagi on Sunday.
With a section of the Congress leaders hoping that the high command will bring an end to the confusion caused by the tussle over leadership, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday — without naming anyone — blamed the local leaders for having created the confusion.
“Congress high command has not created any confusion. It is some leaders in the State [Congress] who are doing it,” Mr. Kharge told presspersons in Kalaburagi on Sunday.
He was responding to queries over a letter sent to him by some leaders seeking intervention to resolve the infighting in the State unit of the party. “I have not received any such letter so far. I will try to understand the intention of it once it reaches me.”
For over two months, the tussle over leadership between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has intensified with public statements being issued by their followers in favour of their leaders.
‘Power-sharing pact’
The government crossing the midway mark of its tenure on November 20 has rekindled speculation over a “power-sharing agreement” between the two leaders, who are now looking at the party’s high command for a resolution.
Cautioning against projecting the Congress as being dependent on one person, Mr. Kharge said, “No one should claim that they alone brought the party to power or built the Congress. The party has been built by its workers. Every leader and worker had a role in strengthening the party.”
Amid the show of one-upmanship by both camps, Mr. Shivakumar met his fierce opponent and sacked former Minister K.N. Rajanna, who has been publicly supporting Mr. Siddaramaiah to complete the full five- year term, on Saturday night.
While both leaders did not reveal the purpose of the meeting, it is learnt that Mr. Shivakumar wanted to offer truce in his bid to take every leader into confidence as he mounts pressure on the Chief Minister. The Deputy Chief Minister had also met Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, another confidant of the Chief Minister recently.
Sources said that the meeting was to also seek Mr. Rajanna’s support to Congress MLC S. Ravi, a relative of Mr. Shivakumar, in the election to the post of Apex Bank president.
‘Rajanna is close to me too’
“Is Chief Minister close to him (Mr. Rajanna)? He (Mr. Rajanna) is close to me too. Who is not close to him (Mr. Rajanna)? I made Mr. Rajanna the president of Apex Bank during S.M. Krishna’s term as Chief Minister. All Congress leaders are working together. We are all friends and colleagues,” Mr. Shivakumar told presspersons when asked if he had met Mr. Rajanna to garner support.
On the leadership tussle, he said, “Are not Chief Minister and I working like brothers? I do not have any differences with any Congress leaders. Have I had any difference with the Chief Minister since he came to the party 16 years ago? I have not spoken against any one.”
The Deputy Chief Minister also claimed that there was no confusion in the party, and said that it was a creation of the BJP and the media. “The BJP is trying to cover up its own internal mess,” he said.
Delhi visit
The Deputy Chief Minister, who will be in Delhi this week to meet Union Ministers, is also like to meet the party’s central leaders to push for his case, sources close to him said. Incidentally, the Chief Minister will also be in Delhi likely next week to attend the Congress Working Committee meeting.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rajanna said that the discussion revolved around strengthening the party. When asked about his opposition to Mr. Shivakumar in the past, he clarified, “There is no change in my stand. Whatever I had said then, I stand by it. Ultimately, high command matters on the leadership issue. The Chief Minister has also reiterated that the high command matters.”
Published – December 21, 2025 07:30 pm IST
