BELAGAVI: Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has said that the Congress leadership has so far never discussed the issue of change of guard in Karnataka state and that Siddaramaiah would continue to be the Chief Minister. The minister said that if some party leaders are lobbying for the top post, it is their personal decision.
Speaking to a section of media at Kittur on Tuesday, he said that the entire Congress leadership, including the party high command, was backing Siddaramaiah and no discussions were held at any level about replacing him.
Reacting to a question that several top party leaders from the state were meeting AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge amid reports of a possible change of guard in the state, Gowda said some leaders could be trying for the top seat and this issue was left to them.
He said there was nothing wrong if some leaders were doing so. He said the top part leaders like Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal had clearly stated that they were all standing by Siddaramaiah.
The issue of change of CM was merely an imagination and nothing else, the minister added. When asked whether he was in the race for the top post, Gowda said he had been elected as MLA for six times and worked as minister in the cabinet thrice. He had already got enough with the blessings of his parents, Gowda said.