'Shivakumar can be CM if high command decides': Siddaramaiah

Following the second breakfast meeting with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday reaffirmed that the Congress leaders are united and will run the Congress government togetherAmid a tussle over the CM post in Karnataka when asked about DK Shivakumar becoming the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said When the High Command saysCM Siddaramaiah had earlier met Deputy CM DK Shivakumar at his residence over a second breakfast meeting between the twoAfter IdliSambar and Upma in their first meeting DK Shivakumar hosted Siddaramaiah with steaming plates of traditional Nati chicken and IdlisAddressing the joint press conference in Bengaluru the Chief Minister said that a meeting with the high command is also on the cardsHe said Me and DK Shivakumar are united We will run the government together in the future as well All our MLAs are united and unitedly we will face the opposition We are in the same party we follow the same ideology and we work together In the future too both of us will work together and bring the party back to powerAfter breakfast we discussed the assembly session It was decided that we should call a meeting of the MLAs on December 8 We will discuss farmers issues and other issues of the state Both of us will accept the decision taken by the high command especially Rahul Gandhi Sonia Gandhi Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge If they the party high command call us to Delhi we will definitely go Tomorrow I am meeting KC Venugopal at a function where both of us are invitedDownplaying the speculated leadership conflict Siddaramaiah said that they were always unitedThis unity is not something new today we have always been united Whatever decision Rahul Gandhi makes we will act accordingly that is what I have saidThe Chief Minister raised the MSP issue affirming the governments support for maize and sugarcane farmersHe said I have come for breakfast at his Dy CM DK Shivakumar residence DK Shivakumar came to my place for breakfast and he invited me to come for breakfast or lunch at his house So I came today and we had breakfast We discussed partyrelated matters More importantly the Assembly session is starting next Monday They said they will bring a noconfidence motion BJP and JDS are planning to oppose whatever decisions we take Our government is profarmer We also discussed issues related to maize and sugarcane I have spoken to the farmers and the government has decided the price I have also spoken to farmers poultry farmers and fishery farmersDK Shivakumar also affirmed the governments commitment towards development in the stateHonoured to welcome the Honble Chief Minister to my residence today We stand committed to the development of Karnataka and the progress of our people Shivakumar wrote on XKunigal MLA Ranganath and Shivakumars brother and former MP DK Suresh were also present there for the breakfast meetingThe internal disagreement over the CM post rooted in the powersharing agreement of 2023 has pushed both leaders to meet for the second time attempting to avoid a fullblown crisisThis meeting follows a highlevel interaction between the two leaders on the morning of November 29 at Siddaramaiahs Cauvery residenceThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever