Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday responded to the speculation about internal party groups and cabinet reshuffles, saying he considers all 140 Congress MLAs as his own.
Responding to questions about rising political activity within the party, Shivakumar said the chief minister has the authority to reshuffle the government and cabinet. “The CM decided to reshuffle the cabinet. Everyone wants to become a minister, so it is quite natural for them to meet the leadership in Delhi. It is their right. We can’t stop them and say no. The CM has said that he will complete 5 years. I wish him all the best. We will all work with him. Both the CM and me have time and again said we abide by the high command,” he said.
Shivakumar added that MLAs wanted to demonstrate their capabilities and readiness to take on responsibility.
On the eligibility of MLAs for ministerial positions, he clarified, “All 140 MLAs are my MLAs. Making a group is not in my blood.''
Referring to reports of Karnataka MLAs meeting Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Shivakumar said he was unaware of any official dinner.
{{/usCountry}}Referring to reports of Karnataka MLAs meeting Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Shivakumar said he was unaware of any official dinner.
{{/usCountry}}Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also emphasised that cabinet reshuffles are the prerogative of the party high command.
Shivakumar, who had recently hinted at stepping down as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, reassured party workers that he will remain a senior leader and continue guiding organisational work.
Google Trends
According to Google Trends, searches for “DK Shivakumar” surged sharply on Friday and remained high on Saturday, driven by the ongoing political power tussle in Karnataka. The spike was most prominent in Karnataka, which accounted for the highest interest, followed by searches from Bihar, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. Related queries also reflected the curiosity around the developing situation, with users frequently looking up terms such as “DK Shivakumar tweet,” “DK Shivakumar business list,” and even “Revanth Reddy,” indicating wider political associations being explored by online users.