‘Only KC Venugopal Knows’: G Parameshwara On Delhi Meeting Amid Karnataka CM Change Rumours

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said state Congress leaders were still unaware of the details discussed between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the party high command in Delhi, amid continuing speculation over a possible leadership change in Karnataka.

Parameshwara said Karnataka leaders were waiting for Congress state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala to arrive in Bengaluru and clarify the situation following the high-level meeting held in New Delhi.

"Yesterday, the high command leaders called the CM. The CM met them. But no one knows what was discussed inside. We have no information yet. State in-charge Randeep Surjewala is coming to Bengaluru today. He will clear up all the confusion tomorrow. We still don't know about the internal discussions. We only know what KC Venugopal said. That's all I have to say," Parameshwara told reporters.

His remarks come at a time when speculation surrounding the Karnataka Congress leadership has once again intensified, despite repeated denials from the party leadership regarding any change in the Chief Minister's post.

The political buzz gained momentum after a high-level Congress strategy meeting in New Delhi attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Randeep Singh Surjewala and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal.

Following the meeting, KC Venugopal rejected rumours of a leadership reshuffle and maintained that discussions were focused only on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council elections.

"Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, and I were part of the discussion. The entire discussion was concentrated only on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Council elections of Karnataka," Venugopal said.

Calling reports of leadership change "speculation", he added that announcements regarding candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Council polls would be made along with those for other states.

Parameshwara also confirmed that Siddaramaiah had called for a breakfast meeting on Thursday and said he would be meeting the Chief Minister later in the day.

The upcoming breakfast meeting between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar at the Chief Minister's official residence 'Kaveri' in Bengaluru is being closely watched amid ongoing political discussions within the Congress.

Questions over Karnataka's leadership have resurfaced repeatedly since the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its term. Supporters of DK Shivakumar have continued to back him for the Chief Minister's post, while some Congress workers have also openly voiced support for G Parameshwara, adding further complexity to the internal political equations within the party.

Although Congress leaders continue to publicly deny any leadership change, the series of meetings in Delhi and Bengaluru has kept political speculation alive within Karnataka Congress circles.