Karnataka CM-change buzz: DK Shivakumar hosts late-night dinner with 30+ Congress MLAs, ministers in Belagavi

BENGALURU: Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar met with over 30 Congress legislators and ministers for a dinner meeting late Thursday night in Belagavi, amid ongoing speculations about potential leadership changes in the state government. According to news agency PTI sources, dinner gathering included prominent ministers K H Muniyappa, Mankal Vaidya, Dr M C Sudhakar, and several MLAs including N A Haris, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, H C Balakrishna, Ganesh Hukkeri, Darshan Dhruvanarayana, Ashok Kumar Rai, and K Y Nanjegowda.Expelled BJP MLAs ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar were also present. This meeting followed a separate dinner hosted by former Belagavi North MLA Feroz Sait the previous day, which was attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his close associates. While party leaders describe these as casual dinner meetings, they have attracted attention due to the ongoing power dynamics within the ruling party regarding the chief minister position. The timing of these gatherings is significant as they occurred after speculation about a possible change in chief minister when the Congress government completed its half-term on November 20, 2023. The party high command had recently instructed both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to meet over breakfast at each other's residences.

This move was seen as an attempt to pause the leadership tussle between the two leaders. These breakfast meetings were also interpreted as a signal for Siddaramaiah's continuation as chief minister for the immediate future, particularly before the Belagavi legislature session. The recent developments follow rumors about a possible power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar after Congress won the Assembly election in 2023.