Shivakumar Is Patiently Waiting For High Command's Decision On Leadership, Says DK Suresh

Bengaluru: With the Congress high command delaying a decision on the leadership issue, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's brother and former MP D K Suresh on Tuesday said that his brother has been patiently waiting for the party's decision, and his patience is not permanent.

"Neither power nor tolerance is permanent in politics. There is an end to everything. There is still time. Let us wait and see. We have faith that the high command will take the right call at the right time," Suresh told reporters in Bengaluru.

Suresh's statement comes a day after his brother came back from Delhi without a definite assurance from the high command on making him the Chief Minister. Shivakumar has been demanding the party high command make him the Karnataka Chief Minister as per the reported 'power deal' struck by the latter to share the Chief Minister post between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for 30 months each. Siddaramaiah has already completed 30 months in office.

When asked how long Shivakumar and his supporters will have to wait for the high command's decision, Suresh said senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has told Shivakumar in Mysuru that the party will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time. "Shivakumar being a disciplined soldier of the party, he has been patiently waiting for the decision, keeping in mind the interest of the party, MLAs, workers and also the 2028 (Karnataka Assembly) elections in mind," he said.

Suresh also took an indirect dig at Siddaramaiah for not honouring his word (on leaving the CM's post). "The Chief Minister's post doesn't come so easily to anyone. It is not easy to get a Chief Minister post from someone. Leave aside the Chief Minister post, it is difficult even to remove a gram panchayat president. While becoming a chairman, a gram panchayat member will agree to all your conditions. But when the time comes to leave the chair, he starts seeking time on one or the other pretext," he said. However, he was quick to add that his comments on panchayat chairmen were only illustrative and not meant to apply to the state politics.

He also dismissed the ongoing talks (by Siddaramaiah supporters) that votes of certain communities will desert Congress if the leadership is changed midway. "Congress needs the votes of all communities. For a politician, votes of all communities, including Vokkaliga, Lingayat, SC/ST are required. There is no necessity to please any one community. Caste based politics is detrimental to the development of the state and the country," he said.

Further, he said Shivakumar has always been loyal to the party, not to any person. "But some people will be there, they will be loyal to leaders. There are also people who are only for power. Shivakumar has endured pain and faced a lot of problems for the sake of the party no matter whether it was in power or out of power," he said.

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