There seems to be no end to the speculations regarding leadership change in Congress-ruled Karnataka, even as the two leaders at the centre of it all—Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar—continue to reiterate that the current CM will continue to be on top for the full five years.
There were unconfirmed reports of a power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar when the party won the 2023 assembly polls. Speculations of a change in the top leadership intensified after the government completed its 2.5-year term on November 20.
Now, at least six legislators backing Sivakumar landed in Delhi on Sunday evening to meet Congress top brass, and according to party sources, a few more legislators are likely to travel to Delhi soon to demand that Shivakumar be elevated to the post of CM. The MLAs who are already in Delhi are H.C. Balakrishna, K.M. Uday, Nayana Motamma, Iqbal Hussain, Sharath Bachegowd and Shivaganga Basavaraj, according to news agency PTI.
Even as the MLAs continued to camp in Delhi, Siddaramaiah said the high command takes the final call on the leadership change, and that it will be accepted by all.
"We will abide by the high command decision. If they decide I should continue (as CM), I will continue. Ultimately, whatever the high command decides, I should accept it. Shivakumar should also accept it," Siddaramaiah told reporters on Monday.
Asked if Shivakumar would become the CM, he said, "When I have said the high command will decide, you are asking me the same thing again."
Shivakumar reacts
The Karnataka Congress chief backed the statement of Siddaramaiah, saying what the CM said is like "Veda Vakya" (sacrosanct) for him. Calling Siddaramaiah an "asset" for the Congress, Shivakumar said everyone is working together in the government under his guidance.
"We have to respect whatever the chief minister is saying. We all have to respect the high command," he said, adding, he has never commented on the chief minister's tenure, and it is the media which is creating confusion.
"There is no confusion in me at all. If anything is there, it is between me and the party high command. We will sort it out if anything is there. As of today, nothing is there. Whatever we have decided, it is internal, within the room, we will take a call on that," he said.
Reacting to the BJP's allegations of 'horse-trading' between factions within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, the deputy CM hit back, saying that it was the BJP's culture.
"BJP leaders have earlier admitted how many thousand crores should be paid to become the CM in their party... it was also discussed with documents in the Assembly as to how many crores were paid by them to purchase MLAs of other parties in the past, they are probably recollecting what they did," he said.
Earlier in the day, the two leaders also shared the stage in Chikkaballapura, where Siddaramaiah inaugurated the high-tech silk cocoon market.
When asked about some more Congress MLAs going to Delhi, the Deputy CM said, they have a desire to become ministers, amid talks of cabinet reshuffle and asked, "What's wrong" with that?
"As the CM said, we can't stop anyone from going to Delhi, where our leaders are, where our party office is, which is like a temple. To build their future, they will go. What's wrong? If they make any statements against the party, form groups, organise dinners, and go against the party, it will violate party discipline. I don't know what they (legislators) have said. As there were talks about a cabinet reshuffle, they have gone, hoping to get a chance," he said.
According to party sources, while Siddaramaiah is pushing for a reshuffle of his Cabinet, Shivakumar wants the party to first decide on a leadership change. They say that if the Congress high command approves the Cabinet reshuffle, it would signal that Siddaramaiah will complete the full five-year term.
With PTI inputs