HASSAN/BENGALURU: Sparking a debate in political circles over the change of leadership in the state, former MLA Yathindra said his father, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, will complete his full tenure of five years if Congress wins a majority of seats in Karnataka in the parliamentary elections.
After unveiling a Sangolli Rayanna statue in Annechakanahalli village of Holenarasipur taluk on Wednesday, Yathindra urged people for support so that Siddaramaiah could continue in the top job.
Lauding his father’s decisions aiming at uplifting the downtrodden, he said Siddaramaiah implemented all the five guarantees promised before the Assembly polls as he is committed to the welfare of the common man.
“The parliamentary elections will be held under the leadership of Siddaramaiah and people should strengthen his hands by supporting Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls,” he said. People should note that the Siddaramaiah-led government is spending Rs 54,000 crore for the guarantee schemes in one year, which no government has done so far.
Following the comments, Siddaramaiah stressed that any decision on the CM’s post will be taken by the party high command, while Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar tried to play it down by asking the media not to twist Yathindra’s words. “It is natural to ask people for support. Yathindra is a responsible leader. There is no need to twist his words or quote him out of context,” the DyCM said.
“Siddaramaiah is our chief minister now and I am the president of the state Congress. Both of us will fight the upcoming elections together. We will go to the elections under Siddaramaiah’s leadership, there is no doubt about it. There is nothing wrong in aspiring for more and seeking strength and power from the people. Even I have sought strength and power from people of my region,” he added.