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No rift within Congress, says Karnataka deputy CM on Shettar-Jarkiholi meeting
The Congress leader said there are no internal problems within the party and that all legislators are together, so there was no need to harbour suspicions.
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday rejected rumours of internal rift in the Congress, while taking a dig at the Janata Dal (Secular) and its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Their [JD(S)] frustration and disillusionment had led them to believe that only a major overhaul could rescue them,” he claimed.
Clarifying that there are no internal problems within the party and that all party legislators are together, the senior Congress leader said there was no need to harbour suspicions.
Shivakumar’s comments come days after Congress leader and MLC Jagdish Shettar met BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi at his residence on Monday. Shettar’s meeting with Jarkiholi sparked rumours of internal disputes among Congress MLAs. However, Shivakumar while dismissing the rumours said that Shettar’s loyalties or abilities cannot be questioned because of a mere meeting.
He acknowledged Shettar’s capabilities and downplayed the significance of the meet while responding to media queries near his Sadashivanagar residence on Wednesday. “We cannot doubt everything like that. Jagdish Shettar has shown what his strength is. I will not talk more about this,” he said.
However, Shivakumar also stated that he was well-informed about the BJP’s efforts to destabilise the Congress government. “I know who has met which of our party leaders and also the details of their offers. The legislators concerned have furnished details of the meetings and offers have been made by the BJP leaders to me as well as the chief minister,’’ he claimed.
Later, at Belagavi airport, Shivakumar assured that there was no internal dissension within the Congress party, emphasising that all 136 MLAs were unified. He dismissed concerns about the absence of Congress party leaders to receive him at the airport, stating that they had maintained contact with him.
Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar confirmed his meeting with Jarkiholi and called it a courtesy call.
Speaking to reporters at his residence on Monday, Shettar explained that he had met various individuals in recent times, including Jarkiholi. “He met me on different occasions in last two months. I can’t say no to those who come. When I go to other places, I meet him because I have an old relationship with him. I have not discussed politics with him, he has not made that effort either. This is just a natural meeting,” he had claimed.
Furthermore, Shettar made it clear that he had no intentions of joining the BJP, stating his commitment to the Congress party. “When I joined the Congress party, I came with the determination not to go back to the BJP. Nobody asked me to quit Congress and join BJP.”
Shettar, a former BJP leader, left the party after being denied a ticket and subsequently joined the Congress ahead of the 2023 state assembly elections. The meeting comes as Jagdish Shettar is yet to be assigned a cabinet post or a chairmanship of one of the corporations run by the government.
Senior Congress minister and party spokesperson Priyank Kharge however gave a spin to the controversy over Shettar’s meeting saying that BJP leaders are in touch with the Congress. “Clearly it shows that several BJP leaders are in touch with us, but we have 136 MLAs and we are in a strong position,” he said.
In the context of the meeting, Laxman Savadi, another BJP leader who had joined Congress ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, said that he doesn’t have any intention of going back to BJP.“I moved parties not because of power but self-respect. I am getting that respect in Congress, so there is no chance of me moving to other parties,” he said.
In response to claims by BJP leaders that the rift within the Congress would originate in Belagavi, Shivakumar mentioned about his ongoing communication with Satish Jarkiholi and indicated that they would work together during his tours to the region.
