Amid speculations of leadership change in the Karnataka Congress, the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday, June 30, made an interesting comment in a perceived attempt to deflect the question by saying that the decision rests with the high command – when he is the high command.
Speaking to reporters amid ongoing speculation about replacing Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah, Kharge said, “It is in the hands of the party high command. No one can say what is going on in the high command. It is left to the high command and they have the right to take further action, but no one should create problems unnecessarily.”
Reacting to Kharge’s remarks, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya took a dig at the Congress leadership. In a post on social media platform X, Surya wrote, “The Congress High Command is like a ghost. It is unseen, unheard, but always felt. Even the Congress President, who people thought is the high command, whispers its name and says it’s not him. So eerie!”
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought to downplay reports of a rift between him and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Addressing the media, Siddaramaiah dismissed the rumours as baseless. “Our government will remain intact for five years like a rock. We both are on good terms, no matter who says what,” he asserted.
The Congress-led government in Karnataka has been facing repeated rumours of internal differences between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, with speculation fuelled by opposition leaders and political observers. However, both leaders have publicly maintained that their relationship remains cordial and that their focus is on providing stable governance.