Bengaluru, Dec 1 (IANS) Commenting on the question of when he will invite Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for a breakfast meeting, Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar maintained that the matter is between him and the Chief Minister. He stressed that both of them are working together like brothers and “there is no such thing as my group or Siddaramaiah’s group.”

Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha on Monday, Shivakumar said, “The breakfast meeting is a matter between me and the Chief Minister. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and I are working together like brothers. We participated in the breakfast meeting only because of media pressure. You (the media) repeatedly claimed that there are camps and groups within the party.”

He further stated, “The media is campaigning that there are separate groups belonging to CM Siddaramaiah, Dy CM Shivakumar and other leaders. There are no groups. The breakfast meeting held at the Chief Minister’s residence is related only to us. There is no such thing as my group or Siddaramaiah’s group.”

“All 140 MLAs are with me. We come into this world alone and leave alone. But when it comes to the party, I take everyone together. Therefore, there is no need for the media to be concerned about this,” he added.

Meanwhile, commenting on the issue, BJP MLA Arvind Bellad, who is also the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, stated in Delhi that the state will not benefit regardless of who becomes the Chief Minister. He alleged that the administration in the state has collapsed and corruption is rampant. “It is their party’s decision to choose the Chief Minister. But a change of Chief Minister in the state is certain,” he claimed.

“There is competition among Siddaramaiah, Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar, Home Minister G. Parameshwara and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge. CM Siddaramaiah claims to be the leader of the Ahinda group, which comprises minorities, backward classes and Dalits. We will agree if Siddaramaiah claims to be the Chief Minister of the Kuruba community, from which he hails. The Ahinda bloc includes many groups such as Idiga, Madivala, Savita, Maratha and Kambara communities. No community has accepted Siddaramaiah as its leader,” Bellad alleged.

“Siddaramaiah is blackmailing the high command. No decision has been taken yet regarding moving a no-confidence motion against the Congress-led government in the Winter Session,” he said.

It may be recalled that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said last Saturday that “our unity will continue. We are together. There are no differences between us.” The two leaders also announced that they would “work jointly for the 2028 Assembly polls.”

They made the statement at a joint press conference held at the Chief Minister’s official residence, Cauvery, in Bengaluru, following their breakfast meeting earlier in the day.

Addressing the media, CM Siddaramaiah said, “We move together. There is no difference.”

“In recent days, confusion has been created. So, we sat together and discussed. Our aim is to win the 2028 Assembly elections and the upcoming local body elections. We discussed our strategy. Just as we worked together during the 2023 Assembly polls, we will continue to work together in the future. There are no differences now, and there will be none in the future. We will move forward together,” he said.

When asked about “keeping the given word,” Siddaramaiah countered, “What is this ‘given word’? I have always said that we will follow whatever the high command decides.”

Responding to questions on power-sharing, Siddaramaiah maintained, “Whatever the high command tells us, we will obey. Whether you understand it or not, we cannot answer every question you ask.”

–IANS

mka/rad