After back-to-back breakfast meetings—Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar hosting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah first and the CM returning the favour later—and separate dinners, hosted by the two camps, Siddaramaiah made an official clarification in the state assembly that there was no secret power-sharing deal.
Addressing the winter session of the legislative assembly in Belagavi on the concluding day on Friday, the chief minister declared that he will remain the chief minister for full five years.
The power tussle within the ruling party had intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government in the state reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. The speculation was fuelled by an alleged "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
However, both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah have always maintained that it was up to the high command to take a call on the leadership change.
“I am the chief minister now, and I will remain so until the high command decides otherwise. There is no such agreement for two and a half years," Siddaramaiah said in the assembly, decisively putting an end to all speculations.
A day before the CM's address, on Thursday, Siddaramaiah's close aide and senior minister Satish Jarkiholi hosted a dinner party for a group of ministers and legislators, including ministers G. Parameshwara, H.C. Mahadevappa, B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, M.C. Sudhakar, and MLA A.S. Ponnanna, triggering fresh political speculations.
The dinner was attended by the CM, although he had skipped a similar event hosted by Jarkiholi on Wednesday. However, the dinner on Wednesday was attended by Siddaramaiah’s son and MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, and confidant and MLA K.N. Rajanna, among others.
According to news agency PTI, while some attendees had dismissed the meetings as "casual dinners" during the ongoing winter session of the state legislature, others suggested that political developments in the state were discussed.
"There is nothing special about it. Giving a dinner to like-minded people is common. Such meetings keep happening. There was nothing special, and not much political discussion took place," Jarkiholi was quoted as saying about the dinner meet on Wednesday.
Yathindra Siddaramaiah said such dinner meetings are common during legislative sessions and that he attends whenever invited. "Everyone is hosting lunches and dinners. Recently, Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao invited me, and I attended. We met during the Congress Legislature Party meeting and over dinner. If any minister invites me, I will go," he said.
However, Rajanna, a former minister and MLA considered close to the chief minister, said about Wednesday's dinner, "Yes, Satish Jarkiholi hosted a dinner meeting yesterday. It was not limited to SC/ST legislators, as reported. He invited all like-minded legislators. I also attended. Several political matters were discussed. Jarkiholi himself may explain the details.”
