Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday that he has invited his deputy, DK Shivakumar, for breakfast on Saturday. He said they will “discuss everything” after the Congress high command asked both leaders to talk and settle the ongoing dispute over leadership.

He explained the situation clearly. “The high command has called D K Shivakumar. They had called me as well. They told both of us to meet and talk. So I invited him for breakfast. When he comes there, we will discuss everything,” Siddaramaiah said.

Tension Over “Promise” of Power

This meeting comes a day after both leaders exchanged indirect remarks about promises and power-sharing. Shivakumar recently hinted at a “secret deal” from 2023. He suggested that the Congress leadership promised he would take over as chief minister after two-and-a-half years.

Siddaramaiah completed two-and-a-half years on November 20. Since then, Shivakumar’s supporters have insisted that it is time for Siddaramaiah to keep his “promise” and step aside.

Soon after these claims, Siddaramaiah posted on X that the “mandate given by the people of Karnataka is not a moment, but a responsibility that lasts five full years.” He made it clear that he plans to serve a full five-year term.

Siddaramaiah Says He Will Follow High Command

On Friday, Siddaramaiah repeated that he will obey the party’s decision. “I am saying the same now, and I will say the same tomorrow,” he said. He added that Shivakumar has “many times” said he will follow the high command.

Siddaramaiah also said he is ready to travel to Delhi “if the high command calls him.”

Shivakumar Says He Is Not in a Hurry

Earlier in the day, Shivakumar hinted that he may go to Delhi ahead of the Parliament winter session on December 1. He said, “I will definitely go to Delhi. It is our temple. Congress has a long history, and Delhi will always guide us. When they call me, the party leaders and the chief minister, we will go there.”

He added, “I don’t want anything. I am not in a hurry. My party will make a decision.”

Shivakumar also pointed to past examples to show that internal decisions are always made by the high command. He said, “Sonia Gandhi was Congress chief for 20 years. She also sacrificed power… Abdul Kalam called her to become the next PM but she refused… suggested Manmohan Singh as someone who could develop the country.”

He reminded reporters that Sonia Gandhi appointed him as Karnataka Congress chief. He said the leadership promised to empower youth and women and based on that, the government launched five guarantee schemes. “In this manner, we prepared the blueprint of all these programmes,” he added.

Party Leaders Expect Delhi to Intervene

Earlier, Congress minister Priyank Kharge said the high command knows the right time to resolve the growing “power tussle” between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

Kharge explained that no formal invitation had been issued yet. “Nobody has given any official invitation or statement on the meeting in New Delhi. The chief minister and the deputy chief minister have said that they will go to Delhi if they are invited by the Congress president or All India Congress Committee general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala. Let the invitation come from Delhi, then only it will be decided,” he said.