On Friday Mallikarjun Kharge responded to escalating rumors of a possible Karnataka leadership change, saying that no day was yet set on which there could be a discussion on the issue. His comments come after reports of an internal power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar.
In an interview at a press conference, Kharge reiterated that the high command of the party would make any decision when it came to leadership in the state after proper consultations. He explained that the decision-making process entails senior leaders among them being the president of the Congress, which happens to be him, the president of the Congress Parliamentary Party, which happens to be Sonia Gandhi and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, which happens to be Rahul Gandhi.
Kharge urged the media and political observers to avoid rushing to conclusion and misunderstanding what he said and reminded that no timeline has yet been set. Until we settle on a date together we will talk and make a decision, not to speculate, he said.
Another point he mentioned is the consultative nature of the party as he pointed out that a lot of consultations are carried out within the party before any decision is made. Kharge states that nothing, neither political results nor influence of governance, is ignored.
Restating the importance of party discipline, he added that any decision made by the high command would be obligatory to all the leaders and members. He stated that such a decision would all be taken in the best interest of the state and the party.