Pro-Shivakumar slogans raised in Mangaluru, CM supporters hit back
Mithun Rai, a leader of the pro-Shivakumar group, insisted that there were "no rival camps" within the party, but acknowledged that many workers "would be happy to see Shivakumar become the chief minister".
A day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar said they were united, putting an end to speculations over leadership change, pro-Shivakumar slogans were raised in Mangaluru when AICC general secretary KC Venugopal arrived in the city on Wednesday (December 3) for an event.
Later, Siddaramaiah’s supporters hit back with "full term CM Siddaramaiah" remarks.
Also read: Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar display strong show of unity again amid leadership tussle
Venugopal arrived in Karnataka’s Mangaluru to attend the centenary commemoration of the historic Narayana Guru-Mahatma Gandhi dialogue, an event organised by Mangaluru University and attended by Siddaramaiah, Cabinet ministers and senior Congress leaders.
As Venugopal exited the airport, a group of party workers raised slogans expressing support for Shivakumar.
‘No rival camps’
Later, when the Chief Minister landed at the airport, his supporters raised slogans like 'Siddu, Siddu, Poornaavadhi Siddu' (full term CM Siddaramaiah), an obvious reference to him completing his five-year term in office till 2028.
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Speaking to reporters, Mithun Rai, a leader of the pro-Shivakumar group, insisted that there were "no rival camps" within the party, but acknowledged that many workers "would be happy to see Shivakumar become the chief minister".
He described the slogan-shouting as an expression of "natural affection" for the deputy CM among grassroots cadres.
Siddaramaiah-Venugopal meeting
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah had a brief, private meeting with Venugopal.
In a post on his X account, Siddaramaiah posted a picture of their meeting and wrote, "Met and held discussions with AICC General Secretary (Organisation) Shri K C Venugopal at the Guest House in Mangaluru."
The leadership change in the state issue gained steam in November, with the party-led government having completed 2.5 years of its term. A rumoured 2023 power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar added to the debate, although the Congress has never confirmed or denied any such arrangement involving the two senior leaders.
In an effort to put an end to the logjam, Siddaramaiah hosted Shivakumar for a breakfast meeting on November 29, at the Congress high command's behest, with the deputy CM reciprocating the gesture on Tuesday.
On both occasions, the two leaders had put up a united front, denying any differences and asserting they would abide by the party high command.
(With agency inputs)