Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar photo-op in Delhi as Congress meets to decide leadership

The two senior Congress leaders reached Delhi after they were summoned by the party high command for discussions on the long-simmering power tussle in Karnataka.

In Short

• Siddaramaiah maintains silence over leadership talks, says speculation is always there
• Shivakumar reiterates loyalty to Congress leadership amid chief ministership buzz
• Cabinet reshuffle discussions may decide Siddaramaiah’s future as Karnataka CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar struck a united pose in Delhi on Tuesday amid growing buzz over a possible leadership change in the state.

The two senior Congress leaders were summoned by the party high command for discussions on the long-simmering power tussle in Karnataka, an issue the leadership has so far avoided addressing publicly.

Party sources said the Congress leadership wants to settle the matter and end the persistent infighting and public bickering between the two camps in the state.

However, before reaching the Congress Headquarters at Indira Bhawan, both Siddaramaiah and Karnataka's number 2, DK Shivakumar remained tight-lipped about the discussions and the likely outcome when confronted by reporters outside the venue.

Party MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary KC Venugopal, party spokesperson Randeep Sujrewala also reached Indira Bhawan for further deliberations to find a way to break the deadlock that has been at the centre of Karnataka politics for a little over a year now.

- Ends