After the Congress high command and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed speculation about a leadership transition in the state, the KPCC president himself publicly questioned what option he had but to stand by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
With the internal rumblings in the state unit appearing to calm down following intervention by top leaders, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister of Water Resources, told reporters: “What option do I have? I have to stand by him and support him. I don’t have any objection to it.”
His remarks came a day after All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and Shivakumar jointly ruled out any immediate change in the chief ministership.
Standing firmly by the party line, Shivakumar warned his supporters against making public statements on the issue of leadership change. He even issued a show-cause notice to Ramanagara MLA H A Iqbal Hussain, who has been openly demanding that Shivakumar take over the reins of the state.
While some Congress MLAs, including Hussain, praised Shivakumar’s contribution to the party saying,“When he was appointed KPCC president, the Congress strength was 70-75 MLAs. He worked for the party, and the rest is history. He played a major role in forming the government,” Shivakumar downplayed personal credit.
“Everyone has worked hard. Hundreds of people like me have worked hard. Am I alone? Lakhs of party workers have worked hard. We have to think about them first,” he said.
Expressing confidence that recent discontent had been addressed during a meeting of party MLAs with Surjewala, Shivakumar added: “There is no disgruntlement in the party. He (Surjewala) is fixing accountability on matters related to the party and the organisation and how to prepare for elections from now itself.”
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Talks of a leadership shift have persisted for some time, with reports pointing to a possible power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. After the May 2023 Assembly election results, the two leaders had engaged in a behind-the-scenes tussle for the top post, which ended with Shivakumar being appointed Siddaramaiah’s deputy.
At the time, some reports suggested a compromise formula involving rotational chief ministership, with Shivakumar slated to take over midway through the government’s term. However, the Congress never officially confirmed such an arrangement.
Ahead of a special Cabinet meeting at Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapura district, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reaffirmed his leadership position, stating: “Yes, I will remain CM for the next five years. Do you have any doubt?”