Power tussle out in the open in Karnataka, Cong brass steps in

WITH THE POWER struggle in Karnataka between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar showing signs of escalating, the Congress central leadership stepped in Monday, deputing AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala to take stock of the situation, a move which incidentally raised hopes in both camps.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Bengaluru/New Delhi, June 30

During his three-day visit to Karnataka, Surjewala plans to interact with all the MLAs and MLCs, district Congress presidents, candidates who were defeated in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and other leaders to understand their problems, concerns and demands, relating to both governance and politics.

His decision to meet the MLAs and MLCs was immediately seen by various sections of the leadership as an attempt by the party high command to gauge the mind of the MLAs on a possible reshuffle of the Siddaramaiah cabinet and or even a leadership change.

Sources in the Congress high command, however, ruled out a change of guard, scotching feverish speculation that Siddaramaiah would make way for Shivakumar as Chief Minister later this year. Those in the Shivakumar camp had, for some time, been talking about the possibility of a two-and-a-half year term-sharing formula between the two.