Bengaluru/Coimbatore, 9 Sept

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar avoided directly responding to a question on whether he would take over as Chief Minister in the State, and instead said, “Time will answer. I will not answer. Only time has to answer. Anyone in this world has to live on hope. Without hope there is no life.”

Speaking at the India Today Conclave South 2025 in Coimbatore on Tuesday, he said the decision lay with the Congress’ High Command.

“It is me, my leadership. Me and my party. Me and (Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah. So, my party high command is whole and soul for us, we go by their directions. Whatever they decide, we accept,” he said.

He added that he believed that the Congress would return to power in Karnataka in 2028.

“The way we are working, we have gained the trust of people across our State. We have that confidence,” he said.

Explaining why he had sung the RSS anthem, Shivakumar said a politician must study his opponents. “To enter politics, first you should know yourself, your surroundings and your enemies. Who are your enemies?”

He added that he apologised because his ego was not important and he didn’t want to create a nuisance.

Rahul to be next PM 

Shivakumar was confident that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would become the nation’s next Prime Minister in 2029, saying that “country needs a change”.

“I am very confident that Gandhi will be the next Prime Minister,” he said.

Notably, the INDIA bloc had contested the Lok Sabha polls without announcing its candidate for Prime Minister.