India, May 26 -- A full day of consultations between the Congress high command and Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar ended on Tuesday evening with a firm denial by the party that it discussed a change in the state's leadership arrangement, insisting that the discussions were strictly confined to strategies for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

The assertion was interpreted as suggesting that the party would maintain the status quo for now.

According to people familiar with the discussions, the Congress leadership heard the positions of Siddaramaiah and deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar through a series of separate and joint meetings at the All India Congress Committee headquarters.

"Whatever speculation you ...