A carefully curated breakfast of idli, dosa, upma, naati koli, and coffee became the latest stage for the state’s simmering leadership tensions, as chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar met over a spread cooked entirely at Shivakumar’s residence. Though projected as a gesture of goodwill, the meal reflected the uneasy balance between personal camaraderie and political rivalry.
“The breakfast was good. We didn’t talk about anything there. We just had breakfast. DKS came to our house today… DKS invited me to his house,” Siddaramaiah said later in the day.
Food, however, played an unmistakable political role. Naati koli (country- style chicken), Siddaramaiah’s well-known favourite, was added to the menu by Shivakumar. “Today, I invited him to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste,” Shivakumar said. Siddaramaiah responded by noting that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru, a remark that softened the otherwise tense subtext.
The gathering included Shivakumar’s brother and former MP D K Suresh — who last month publicly criticised the CM — and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of the deputy CM. Suresh was seen bending down to touch Siddaramaiah’s feet.
Saturday’s earlier breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence had been held on instructions from the Congress leadership, which has been attempting to bring stability to the state unit. The follow-up meal at Shivakumar’s home extended the effort.
{{/usCountry}}Saturday’s earlier breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence had been held on instructions from the Congress leadership, which has been attempting to bring stability to the state unit. The follow-up meal at Shivakumar’s home extended the effort.
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