Commenting on the recent statements by Congress MLAs regarding a possible leadership change in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday asserted that there is no discontent within the party.
Speaking to the media near his residence in Bengaluru, he said, &ldquo;There is no discontent within the party. National General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala has visited the state to review party affairs and organisational matters.&rdquo;
When asked about reports suggesting that legislators had expressed dissatisfaction in front of Surjewala, Shivakumar responded, &ldquo;Surjewala has come to discuss preparations for the upcoming elections and to ensure effective handling of responsibilities. His visit is aimed at strengthening party functioning.&rdquo;
Regarding the notice issued to MLA Iqbal Hussain, he stated, &ldquo;Discipline is important in the party. If a notice is issued to him, others may also receive notices. There is no need to take my name and say, &lsquo;Make me the Chief Minister.&rsquo; Since Siddaramaiah is already the Chief Minister, why raise other names?&rdquo;
On being asked about speculation that his name was being mentioned due to his role in building the party, he replied, &ldquo;Did I build the party alone? Like me, there are hundreds, thousands, even lakhs who have contributed to building this party. First, let us uphold the trust they have placed in us.&rdquo;
Responding to questions on the upcoming special cabinet meeting, Shivakumar said, &ldquo;Issues such as the development of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda&rsquo;s memorial in Magadi and several small-scale irrigation projects for Bengaluru will be discussed in the cabinet.&rdquo;
He added, &ldquo;We have already implemented drinking water projects for the Kolar and Chikkaballapur regions. There is a demand to rename the Bengaluru Rural district as Bengaluru North. That proposal will also be discussed during the meeting.&rdquo;
Speaking on the proposed renaming of Bengaluru North district, he explained, &ldquo;Earlier, when I represented the area as a Zilla Panchayat member, the Kanakapura, Channapatna, and Ramanagara regions were part of Bengaluru Rural. After it was renamed Bengaluru South, any further decision to rename the district will depend on requests from local legislators.&rdquo;
The issuance of notices to party leaders for making public statements on the leadership issue is likely to spark fresh controversy within the state Congress.
Recently, Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna, a close confidant of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, claimed that Karnataka politics would witness a major shift after October, and further stated that Siddaramaiah is functioning under pressure.
Minister Rajanna also noted that there are multiple power centres in the state.
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&nbsp;(Apart from the headline, this article has not been edited by Benefit News editorial team and is published from an IANS news feed.)

Karnataka Congress leaders with national leaders and state in-charge

Deputy CM denies rift in Congress, urges discipline amid talk of leadership change

Shivakumar Dismisses Karnataka Leadership Rift

Deputy CM denies rift in Congress, urges discipline amid talk of leadership change

July 2, 2025 | 20:45 IST