DK SHIVAKUMAR: HIGH COMMAND TO DECIDE CHIEF MINISTER POST BASED ON MY PERFORMANCE

Bangalore: Amid mounting support from within and outside the party for Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to become Chief Minister, Karnataka's Congress President asserted on Saturday that he requires no endorsements. He emphasised that the decision rests solely with the high command, contingent upon his performance.

“There is no discussion about Deputy Chief Ministers, and there is no question of discussing the Chief Minister's position too. The pontiff (Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swami) has spoken out of love for me. I request that no one make any recommendations. The party high command will decide based on my work,” Shivakumar said, as per the IANS report.

“AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, the Chief Minister, and I have come to a consensus along with the high command on how to proceed in the interest of Karnataka. There is no need for MLAs, ministers, or any religious pontiff to talk about the matter,” he further added.

“If they want to support me, let them pray for me, and this should end here. I don't want any minister to talk to the media about matters of Deputy Chief Minister posts or the post of the Chief Minister. If they continue to issue public statements, I can't do anything but issue notices to them from the AICC,” Shivakumar warned.

Shivakumar underscored the importance of discipline within the party, stating it as indispensable. "We've toiled hard to bring the party to power. I urge everyone to maintain silence for the party's benefit. I respectfully request religious leaders not to intervene in politics," Shivakumar remarked.

Regarding the meeting with MPs and Union Ministers in New Delhi, he mentioned, "We convened with all our MPs and most Union Ministers. Five Union Ministers attended along with others, setting aside political differences to ensure Karnataka's interests. They pledged support to address issues upon approach by officials and concerned ministers."

“Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended our meeting for over two hours and assured us that the central government's commitments to Karnataka will be honoured," Shivakumar stated. "We discussed technical challenges regarding the Upper Bhadra Project and provided all necessary documents. For the Mahadayi project, former CMs Basavaraj Bommai and Jagadish Shettar are well-versed; I trust Union Minister Pralhad Joshi will collaborate on Karnataka's behalf."

"Yesterday, we met with Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who highlighted state-level obstacles to project implementation. We're engaging local MLAs and ministers to address these issues. Farmers' requests for project deviations are impractical, but we'll convene discussions to find common ground."

“This evening at 8 P.M., a meeting has been fixed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and I will also be joining the Chief Minister,” he stated.

2024-06-29T16:40:02Z dg43tfdfdgfd