New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) Karnataka Opposition Party Leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said he has not discussed anything about national politics, but only state politics with AICC President Sonia Gandhi.
"I have not discussed anything about national politics, except Karnataka politics," he told reporters here when he was asked whether Sonia Gandhi offered any role in national politics to him during his meeting with her.
Siddaramaiah is in New Delhi amidst speculations that the party High Command would give him a national role in the event of the party facing dissertations and rebellions in Congress-ruled states like Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
He said he does not have any interest in national politics and had declined some offers given to him by the party high command in the past.
"In the past, Rahul Gandhi had offered me the post of party's general secretary, but I declined. The central leadership then made me a member of the Congress Working Committee, but I resigned from it. Therefore, I do not have any interest in national politics. I am confining myself to Karnataka politics," he said firmly.
Siddaramaiah said he discussed various issues relating to state party and politics, but did not reveal details of the discussion.
Contrary to Siddaramaiah's denial, the Karnataka party unit has been talking for a couple of years about Siddaramaiah's potential of playing a good role in national politics.
In 2018, the party leadership were keen on Siddaramaiah contesting Lok Sabha elections as they considered him as an asset in national politics.
They were also impressed with Siddaramaiah's political acumen, who had managed to forge an alliance with JDS and kept the BJP away from power in the state, even though the Congress managed 80 seats in the last assembly election.
This is the reason the party had rewarded him by inducting him as a member of Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body in the country.
Interestingly, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai during the monsoon session of the state assembly had made teasingly passing remarks by saying that there were many foes within the Congress, who wanted to send Siddaramaiah to Delhi and cut his wings in state politics.
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