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Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday called on Congress MLA K N Rajanna at his residence here.

The meeting assumes significance as Rajanna is considered loyal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Madhugiri MLA Rajanna was cooperation minister in the Siddaramaiah government.

He was sacked from the Cabinet after the Congress high command instructed CM Siddaramaiah to remove him for his “vote theft” remarks that embarrassed the party and its leader Rahul Gandhi.

Rajanna’s supporters had blamed Shivakumar for the conspiracy.

Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, said it was a cordial meeting with Rajanna.

“Rajanna is our MLA. He was a minister with us. I met him and will meet him in future as well. Yesterday, I couldn’t meet him. He said he will meet me after a programme in the Governor House,” Shivakumar told reporters here.

Asked about the reason behind the meeting, the Deputy CM said he and Rajanna are colleagues in the same party.

“He (Rajanna) was in the government. He might have given some statement. I don’t feel bad about it. I never fought with anyone. I never gave any statement against anyone. Take out any record. I only respond to the opposition’s charges. I never comment on anyone on my own,” Shivakumar said.

When reporters said Rajanna was considered close to Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar retorted saying, “Do you know how close I am with Rajanna? He was not even related to Siddaramaiah when I made him District Apex Cooperative Bank chairman during S M Krishna government. The CM was in Janata Dal (Secular) and I was in Congress. I made him apex bank chairman. Ask Rajanna. He will tell you.”

Shivakumar also said that Rajanna was always close to him, just as he was with Siddaramaiah.

“Now that you are saying he is close to the CM, he (Rajanna) is close to me as well. The CM and I are also closely associated. We are working like brothers,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rajanna said Shivakumar came to meet him as the party president and discussed strengthening the party.

“Shivakumar is our party president. He can come and meet me whenever he wants. He can summon anyone or he can meet anyone. He will do whatever is in the best interest of the party. There is no politics involved in it,” he told reporters after the meeting.

When asked that he had opposed Shivakumar often, Rajanna said he is firm on his stand.

“There is no change in the stand,” he added.

On Shivakumar attending dinner meetings, the MLA said they were just courtesy meetings.

When asked whether these meetings were an exercise to become the chief minister, the Madhugiri MLA said even if anyone makes efforts, the final decision rests with the party high command.

He added that Siddaramaiah has repeatedly said that he will remain the CM and will hold the post so long as the party high command wishes.

“I am always in favour of Siddaramaiah irrespective of his (Shivakumar) efforts. I stand by my statement. I stand by that,” he added.

The meeting happened in the midst of power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar though both the leaders put up a united face through their ‘breakfast diplomacy ‘ at the insistence of Congress high command.