Bengaluru: Interesting political developments are taking place behind the scenes in the ruling Congress party with the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s inability to secure a stay in the High Court on Monday. This is despite his case is being represented by senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi. With speculations rife that an FIR is likely to be filed against him, is gaining momentum.
Part of that, the Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President DK Shivakumar believed to have held a private, 40-minute meeting with his bitteresst rival, Satish Jarkiholi, at a neutral location later on Monday. The absence of aides during their discussion pointed to the seriousness of the exchange. According to sources within the party, Satish Jarkiholi is expected to take over as KPCC president soon, and the meeting was likely related to this leadership transition.
The relationship between Shivakumar and Jarkiholi has been strained in recent years, particularly following the controversy involving a video of Satish’s brother, Ramesh Jarkiholi. Ramesh had recently remarked that Karnataka would face significant challenges if Shivakumar became the Chief Minister. It is speculated that the meeting aimed to address and resolve these underlying tensions.
Their rivalry also extends to the control of Belagavi politics and cooperative banks. Some believe that the meeting was an attempt to iron out these and other long-standing issues, although some of these differences have been resolved in the past.
Sources close to Satish Jarkiholi noted that while the two leaders have met on several occasions before, this particular meeting has drawn considerable attention due to its timing and context. Notably, DK Shivakumar’s brother, DK Suresh, recently lost in the Lok Sabha polls, while Satish Jarkiholi’s daughter, Priyanka, secured a victory. Shivakumar’s efforts to support Laxmi Hebbalkar’s son, Mrinal, also ended in failure. These circumstances suggest that the meeting was far from routine and may signal significant developments within the Congress party.
Should there be a change in the Chief Minister, several potential candidates are being considered, including All-India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party president G Parameshwara. However, if DK Shivakumar is to achieve his ambition of becoming Chief Minister, he will need Satish Jarkiholi’s support, as Jarkiholi is believed to have influence over a significant number of legislators—up to 15-20 MLAs from both Congress and BJP.
