Karnataka Crisis: D.K. Shivakumar Meets Siddaramaiah Over Breakfast, Says High Command Will Decide

11 hours ago

In a significant political development in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for a crucial breakfast meeting at the latter's residence in Bengaluru on Saturday. Following the 45-minute meeting and a joint press conference, Shivakumar described the engagement as a display of unity, stating, 'We are a united front. The high command will decide.' He dismissed reports of a rift as 'confusion created by the media.' While Siddaramaiah remains in Bengaluru for the upcoming Belagavi assembly session, Shivakumar is set to visit Delhi to meet Congress leadership and Karnataka MPs. The meeting comes as the BJP threatens a no-confidence motion.

Transcript

00:00DK Shubh Kumar leaving from Sidra Maya's residence. Breakfast meet done, press conference done.

00:05The agenda has been very, very, very clear. And now, anytime now, we're awaiting those images

00:09of DK Shubh Kumar leaving from Sidra Maya's residence and standing right outside.

00:14So we'll get you those first shots as he exits from here, his house, his home, just a few minutes away.

00:20There's a possibility that DK Shubh Kumar after this will also head straight to the airport and head to Delhi.

00:25He was asked about it in the press conference and he said that there's a lot of business, especially with the upcoming parliament session.

00:31We want to discuss with members of parliament what needs to be brought up for Karnataka's welfare.

00:35He seems to suggest that it's not just him, that Sidra Maya too will be making his way to Delhi

00:40and that this was agreed upon, that he needs to be in the national capital immediately.

00:44That seems to be setting the stone and the stage for DK Shubh Kumar to head to Delhi later today.

00:51We're just standing by for those images right now of DK Shubh Kumar as he's expected to exit from here,

00:56from the chief minister's residence.

00:58This was a meeting. The breakfast meet alone lasted about 45 minutes.

01:03And then after that, a press conference was about 30 minutes.

01:05It's been a day where finally Sidra Maya and DK Shubh Kumar have said that we're going to end all of the suspense

01:12over whether we're together, whether we're one front or not.

01:15They maintain that all that's happened is confusion created by the media.

01:19That's what Sidra Maya says.

01:21But he says that we are united.

01:23The only reason we decided to come together and have this conversation is also...

01:27Okay, we're cutting across to those images there.

01:29DK Shubh Kumar right now leaving.

01:31Now we'll have to see if he's willing to give a word or two, give a bite to the media.

01:36Looks unlikely because at this point also, he is headed back to his residence after a detailed press conference.

01:42He said all that he has to say. He said very clearly that we are a united front.

01:46The high command will decide.

01:48Essentially, if you look at it from the press conference,

01:51this is exactly what both Sidra Maya and DK Shubh Kumar have been maintaining.

01:55They've been maintaining before the media.

01:57High command will decide. Nothing else is happening.

01:59I'm in no hurry is what DK Shubh Kumar has said.

02:01But it's behind the scenes that you've been constantly seeing this non-stop fighting,

02:06all of this tussle, this war of words, literally, and so much more.

02:09And there's no doubt about it that that continues even going forward.

02:14Nothing changes with that particular meeting except that the attempt is to tell the opposition,

02:19look, this is none of your business.

02:20You cannot gain any political mileage out of any of the problems or this tussle that's happening over the chief minister.

02:27And that is the messaging here.

02:29They're attempting to stop this opposition narrative that governance has taken a backseat.

02:33And it's important that they do it because also in a week from now is when the assembly session in Balagabi kicks off.

02:39And they don't want to go into the session on the back foot on this particular issue,

02:43which is why the press conference has just happened.

02:45So, Naga, we've just seen DK Shubh Kumar leaving.

02:47Is he headed to Delhi for sure today?

02:49At this point of time, that's what I was speaking to his office,

02:52that most likely he's going to Delhi is what we are told.

02:55He just made his way from the chief minister's residence.

02:58He's gone back to his home, which is what we are told.

02:59We have Apoorva there at DK Shubh Kumar's residence.

03:02We'll be getting more information more likely in the next few minutes as to what the schedule for the day is.

03:08What we are picking up from our sources is that he was quite happy after today's meeting

03:12that at least he had a confirmation that whatever the high command decides,

03:16the chief minister will not rebel and he will abide by it.

03:20The CM himself told DK Shubh Kumar that I'm not going to rebel.

03:23I will do whatever it takes and listen to the high command.

03:26But for CM, he thinks that high command is with him.

03:28DK Shubh Kumar thinks the high command is with him.

03:31So we have to wait and watch what transpires in the Delhi meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as well.

03:37But DK Shubh Kumar is all set to go to Delhi today in the pretext of having a meeting with all the parliament members

03:44for Mekai Datu as well as the crop issue.

03:46But he is going to meet for his personal agenda to get to meet to all the AICC leaders who he thinks are the key stakeholders

03:53to put pressure on them to ensure that his argument is taken across all the way to the AICC headquarter

03:59but is quite upbeat after today's meeting.

04:02Even though they have made up a diplomatic statement that they are together,

04:05he feels that the CM is convinced if at all the command comes from the Congress office,

04:10he will not be rebelling is what DK Shubh Kumar feels.

04:13That's for now. That's the messaging for now at least.

04:16But what this also seems to indicate, I could be wrong here, Naga,

04:20but to me it seems almost like, you know, the pause button has been pressed.

04:25That tomorrow, yes, there's going to be a high command meeting,

04:27but the high command is in no tearing hurry to address this crisis and so it could take time.

04:32In the meanwhile, the message is very clear that Sidramaya and DK Shubh Kumar have to continue working together,

04:38have to continue with business as usual and not get into this kind of bickering.

04:42And we have told that DK Shubh Kumar has reached his residence

04:45and has walked into his own house personal residence in Sadashinagar

04:48and he was on a phone call when he entered and he was talking alone is what we are told.

04:53Okay, I don't know what, whether we should read into that,

04:56what we should read about it, about who he was talking to,

04:59was it getting support from MLAs, maybe speaking to the high command,

05:01maybe just a personal call.

05:03We don't know about that just yet.

05:05I wonder if Apoorva is with us.

05:06We'll connect with her as well for that update.

05:08She's at DK Shubh Kumar's residence.

05:11She was standing by when he left, when he said,

05:13I will talk to all of you later.

05:15I'm going in for that meeting and now going back.

05:18You know, it's all about the body language.

05:19DK Shubh Kumar speaking on the phone, entering back into his home.

05:23There's a possibility that later today,

05:24he's catching a flight headed directly to Delhi,

05:27which is what I meant, that this press conference changes nothing.

05:30It changes nothing about the ambitions.

05:32It changes nothing of the aspirations.

05:34It changes nothing of DK Shubh Kumar's want to become the chief minister very soon.

05:39At no point was there a statement from DK Shubh Kumar,

05:42where he said that Sidra Maya will continue till 2028 as the chief minister.

05:46That wasn't mentioned at all.

05:47At no point did Sidra Maya say,

05:49DK Shubh Kumar doesn't want to be the chief minister any longer.

05:52I will continue.

05:53He didn't say that either.

05:54And that tells you that the middle ground is to ensure the government is running.

05:57The middle ground is to ensure the opposition doesn't have a talking point.

06:01That is the middle ground between DK Shubh Kumar and Sidra Maya.

06:04The difference is still very much there.

06:06That both of them want to be chief minister.

06:08Sidra Maya wants to complete his term.

06:10DK Shubh Kumar wants to take over now.

06:12And so on that, the only patch up that can be made is by the high command.

06:16They say as of now, they are united.

06:18They say whatever the high command says, we will adhere to.

06:22But you never know in politics.

06:24Never say never.

06:25Because in the next few minutes maybe,

06:27the next few days, the next few hours,

06:29if the high command comes up with a decision

06:31that isn't suitable maybe to a DK Shubh Kumar

06:33or that isn't suitable to a Sidra Maya,

06:35only then will we actually know what kind of reaction will come in.

06:39They both want to play their cards right by the high command right now.

06:43Because ultimately, it is this high command that will take a decision

06:46that will seal their feet.

06:48And so both of them will want to ensure

06:50that any instruction that comes,

06:52they go over and above to keep the high command happy.

06:56So much so that maybe DK Shubh Kumar is also headed

06:59for that very exact reason right now

07:01to the national capital.

07:04Now, they are saying that it is for a slew of meetings.

07:06He said Sidra Maya may also join him.

07:08Naga, is there any confirmation on that

07:10or whether Sidra Maya is headed to Delhi?

07:12Chief Minister is not heading to Delhi today.

07:14He has his own personal meetings in Bengaluru,

07:16is what we are told.

07:17Chief Minister will go to Delhi

07:18only if there is official communication from the Congress, Haikman.

07:21He feels that he has to be here

07:24and prepare for the assembly session

07:26that is coming up in Belgaam.

07:28And he has a lot of official government meetings

07:30that is scheduled on Monday as well.

07:32And hence, if there is official communication

07:34only then he would go to Delhi.

07:35He has nothing to fight for at this point of time.

07:38He feels that I am already sitting in the chair.

07:40So why should I unnecessarily go to Delhi

07:43and then make my case?

07:44Thank you very much.

Karnataka Crisis: D.K. Shivakumar Meets Siddaramaiah Over Breakfast, Says High Command Will Decide

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