K’taka Cong infighting: Hard work by Shivakumar will yield results, says legislator Iqbal Hussain
Despite the party’s repeated pleas for its members to stay silent over the current leadership debate in Karnataka, many Congress representatives have kept speaking out.
Iqbal Hussain, a Congress MLA from Ramanagara and a firm ally of Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, told reporters in Belagavi on Friday that the Deputy CM’s hard work will soon start bearing fruit. He added that the results would become evident once the Assembly’s winter session wraps up.
Hussain’s comments come amid talk that the ruling Congress might see a shift in leadership after the session ends. When the Siddaramaiah faction suggested that Shivakumar lacks enough MLA support, Hussain countered by saying, “The numbers do not matter; what matters is the directive of the Congress High Command.” He went on to explain that around 50–60 Congress MPs had already signed up for a dinner, and if Shivakumar invites everyone, all 224 MLAs will attend. “Everyone is close to him, and all are his friends. The High Command’s decision must be accepted by all,” he stressed.
Ramesh Bandi Siddegowda, a legislator from Srirangapattana in Mandya district, echoed a similar sentiment. He noted that the friends who organized the dinner from Belagavi had everyone there, and insisted that the High Command will ultimately determine the leadership and that numbers are irrelevant. He questioned whether attending a dinner should even be viewed as questionable.
S.T. Somashekar, a Yeshwanthpur BJP MLA who currently backs Congress and publicly refers to Shivakumar as his “godfather,” added his perspective. “Why shouldn’t D.K. Shivakumar become the Chief Minister? Has he not built the party? Has he not worked hard? He is only asking for what he deserves. The Congress High Command will decide after the session ends.”
Meanwhile, H.C. Balakrishna, the MLA from Magadi, targeted Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra, claiming the younger man lacks even basic common sense. In response to Yathindra’s assertion that the Congress High Command had stated no leadership change would happen in Karnataka and had rejected Shivakumar’s request, Balakrishna voiced frustration over a notice he received for speaking on the issue. He suggested a double standard exists between senior and junior leaders.
When rumors swirled about a dinner aimed at showcasing Shivakumar’s strength against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Deputy Chief Minister clarified that he was not putting on a show or asserting dominance. “I am not displaying any strength, nor do I need to,” he said. “No one should position themselves behind me, nor speak on my behalf. I, the Chief Minister, and all 140 Congress MPs belong to one group—the Congress group. Let’s not create space for factionalism.”
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