Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah continued to downplay talks of a leadership change in the state, even as there has been speculation from various quarters about Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar taking over as CM.
On Monday, Siddaramaiah said the decision of the Congress high command is final regarding any potential change in the state's leadership, adding that other people talking about leadership change holds no weight unless confirmed by the party leadership.
There have been reports of supporters of Shivakumar chanting slogans in support of Shivakumar becoming the next chief minister. Besides, there were also reports of migrant workers from Bihar expressing their desire to see Shivakumar as the next CM during a recent interaction.
"People may talk, but who is the high command? Have Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge spoken about it? More than the people, it's you (media) who are talking about it. High command has to decide. Except for the party high command, others speaking on the matter holds no weight," Siddaramaiah said when asked about the talks of leadership change.
The CM said the cabinet reshuffle in the state will be discussed with the party high command after the Bihar Assembly elections.
There was a competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the CM's post after the declaration of assembly election results in May 2023, and the Congress high command had managed to convince Shivakumar and made him the Deputy CM. There were reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a rotational CM formula, according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-a-half years. The party has never officially confirmed this.
However, as the government is nearing the halfway point of the five-year term, talks of a 'November revolution' and leadership change gained momentum, with many people expressing their desire to see Shivakumar as the CM.