Amid the ongoing power tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the CM asserted that he would lead the state government till its full tenure. Speaking on the floor of the House on the last day of the Legislature session in Belagavi on 19th December, Siddaramaiah said that he has the favour of the Congress high command and that he would remain the Chief Minister for the full term of the state government. “I am the Chief Minister now, and I will continue as the Chief Minister in the future also,” he said in response to a debate in the Legislative Assembly on issues related to the development of north Karnataka.
Saiddaramaiah’s remarks came after repeated questions by the state BJP on whether he would remain the CM for half the term only. He refuted the claims of there being a power-sharing agreement within the state government, according to which he would step down after two-and-a-half-years. “The party high command has never said that my term is only two-and-a-half years. I have been chosen for five years, and I will be there for five years,” he said.
“We are a high command party. I completed five years in the first term and became Chief Minister again in 2023. I have now completed two-and-a-half years of the current term. We will abide by whatever the high command decides. In my view, the high command is in favour of me. I myself will be there as Chief Minister in the future also,” he added. Earlier, Siddaramaiah had said that he would continue to occupy the CM’s position till the Congress high command wants him to.
Commenting on the issue, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that he never objected to Siddaramaiah completing his full tenure as the Chief Minister. “I had never said, he (Siddaramaiah) will not be there (as CM) for five years. I have never said that the high command is not with him. As the high command is with him, he is the chief minister today,” Shivakumar said. “Both of us have come to an agreement, the high command has got us to an understanding, as per that, both of us have discussed and have said several times that we will abide by it and go ahead,” he added. Shivakumar accused the media of spreading rumours about a power tussle between him and Siddaramaiah. “It is you (media) who is talking about it, there is no discussion among us. We will abide by what the party says,” he claimed.
Even though both leaders have denied any conflict regarding the CM’s chair in the state, the internal rift within the party for the CM’s position has not been hidden. The party has long been facing an infighting which has divided the party into two factions, with one supporting CM Siddaramaiah and the other supporting Deputy CM DK Sivakumar. The rift within the Karnataka Congress recently became undeniably visible after 4 party leaders, including three sitting MLAs and a former MP from Mandya, were issued notices by the party for openly backing Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar as the next Chief Minister.
