"No discussions going on, no division in Congress": Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao says 'MLAs to abide by high command's decision on CM post'

Bidar (Karnataka) [India], February 8 (ANI): Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Sunday refuted claims that a discussion about a change in the state Congress leadership was underway, saying there is no rift in the party.
Reigniting the row over a speculated power tussle, the Karnataka Minister said that if the high command decides to change the Chief Minister of the Congress-led government, all the MLAs will abide by it.
Rao told ANI, "No discussions going on. Some MLAs have spoken, that's all. There is nothing like that. The CM and DCM have said that whatever the high command decides is final. These are all just rumours. All MLAs, CM and DCM are with the High Command. There is no dispute. There is no problem, no division in the Congress party, and we are all together."
The speculations began as the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its tenure. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara were considered to be in the race for the CM post.
Last month, DK Shivakumar visited the national capital to meet with the Congress high command. He refrained from discussing about the meeting and asked the media "not make a big deal" out of his visit, stating he came to the national capital for government and party work.
Maintaining that he would not disclose anything regarding the meeting, he said, "I cannot disclose it. Time will answer everything... We are all politicians; politicians do whatever politics they want. There is nothing wrong with that. We have met. Why do you make a big deal out of it? We come here for government work, for party work. We come here for politics."
On January 16, Shivakumar had met with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)