Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 12: Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain sparked fresh speculation on Friday about a leadership change in Karnataka by boldly predicting that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will ascend to the chief minister’s position immediately after the ongoing winter session of the state legislature conclu
Hussain, the MLA from Ramanagara and a known Shivakumar ally, made the remark to reporters after a late-night dinner gathering on Thursday involving 50-55 Congress MLAs, ministers, and legislators hosted by Shivakumar. Dismissing questions about it being a “show of strength,” he insisted it was just a casual meet-up among friends during the rare opportunity of the assembly session, but then dropped the bombshell: “I’m giving the good news. He will become (CM) after the session, he will become.”
The MLA attributed Shivakumar’s prospective elevation to his tireless efforts, party organizational skills, and struggle, asserting confidence that the Congress high command—already briefed by the group—would decide accordingly. He countered skeptics referencing “fate” by noting that destiny aligns with hard work.
The comments come against the backdrop of escalating power tussle within the Congress between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, which intensified after the government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. Recent breakfast meetings at each leader’s residence, mandated by the high command, had temporarily quelled rumors and signaled Siddaramaiah’s continuity ahead of the Belagavi session (December 8-19).
Hussain stressed the party’s discipline, declaring that “numbers are not important” and all legislators must abide by the high command’s final call, upholding Congress culture regardless of the outcome.
