Bengaluru

Senior Congress leader B. K. Hariprasad on Monday appeared to downplay remarks made by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar amid ongoing speculation over a possible leadership change in the state.

Hariprasad, a Member of the Legislative Council and AICC in-charge of Haryana, likened Shivakumar to a “railway engine”, saying that noise is natural when an engine arrives at a station.

“He is the PCC President. He is like a railway engine. He has to pull the party. The other engine is Siddaramaiahji, who is heading the government. Whenever an engine arrives at a railway station, it makes a lot of noise… After the train leaves, everything is cool,” Hariprasad told ANI.

Referring to Shivakumar’s recent “time will answer” remark on the chief ministerial issue, Hariprasad said, “Yes, time will say everything.”

He emphasised that the party’s top leadership — Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi — would take the final call on any leadership decision in Karnataka. “As a Congressman, everybody should wait for them,” he said.

Shivakumar had earlier stated that the Congress high command and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would examine statements made by party MLAs regarding the leadership issue. He reiterated that he would abide by the party’s decision and remain loyal to both the government and the organisation.

“Whatever the party has said, I’m going to do… My duty is to be a loyal soldier of the party and the government,” Shivakumar said.

His remarks followed his recent visit to Delhi, where he attended a Congress meeting ahead of the Assam elections. When asked whether he was expected to become Chief Minister after the state budget, Shivakumar had said, “Time will answer.”

On February 10, Karnataka Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain claimed that at least 80 party MLAs had proposed Shivakumar’s name for the chief minister’s post to the high command.

However, Shivakumar clarified that the chief ministerial issue was not discussed during his meeting with party leaders at the AICC and said senior leaders would decide at an appropriate time in the interest of Karnataka.

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The leadership tussle within the Karnataka Congress began in November last year when the government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term.