Siddaramaiah Gets Invite by AICC for CWC Meeting, Irks Shivakumar
“I have information that the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh have been invited for the CWC meeting,” said Shivakumar.
Bengaluru: While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah got an invitation from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to attend its Congress Working Committee (CW) on December 27 in New Delhi, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar did not get an invite, leading to speculations in the Congress party over central leadership favoring the former. The invitation reportedly irked Shivakumar.
Currently, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are reportedly engaged in a tussle over power sharing. Shivakumar, said to be a frontrunner to replace Siddaramaiah, wants central leadership to initiate steps for a change of guard in Karnataka.
In a chat with reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday, Shivakumar said, “I am not invited for the CWC meeting and will attend the CWC meeting if invited,” and stated, “Till now I am not invited.”
“I have information that the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh have been invited for the CWC meeting,” said Shivakumar.
“Will have to attend if invited by the party,” said Shivakumar and recalled his services to the party, such as hoisting party flags and cleaning floors of the Congress office.
Continuing, he said, “I am a lifetime party worker, and in whatever post I hold, I continue to be a party worker.” In an oblique reference to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar said, “I worked for the party in every capacity and was not just confined to adorn the dais for delivering speeches.”