• Source:JND

Speaking at an event in Delhi, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar made a cryptic remark while lauding Sonia Gandhi's 'sacrifice' to make Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister of India in 2004. Highlighting the importance of such sacrifices, Shivakumar said many leaders today are reluctant to do the same. The remark comes amid a political tussle with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over a rotational chief ministership.

In July, Siddaramaiah had firmly rejected the leadership change speculations within political circles, and said there was "no vacancy" for the CM's post as he was very much in the chair. He assured that he will complete his five-year tenure as the CM.

“When Sonia Gandhi was asked by the President to take oath as the Prime Minister, she said, ‘For me, power is not important.’ She decided that a Sikh, a minority, and an economist could save the country and should become the Prime Minister,” DK Shivakumar said at the AICC-organised event titled “Constitutional Challenges” on Saturday.

"Has anyone made such a sacrifice in such a big democracy? Does anyone give up even his small post today? Even at the Panchayat level, many people do not do so. Some MLAs and ministers share power, but some of us do not even agree to share power,” Shivakumar added.

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At the event, Shivakumar also urged party workers to contribute as a team to ensure the exit of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2029.

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“Congress’s history is the country’s history, Congress’s strength is the country’s strength. The Gandhi family has kept the Congress family united, and the Congress has kept the country united. Otherwise, our country would have been broken into various pieces," he said.