Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asked the Congress high command to put a “full stop to the confusion” on a day when the leadership tug-of-war in the state came to the fore again.
His remarks followed his deputy, D K Shivakumar, stirring fresh speculation with a cryptic claim that there was a "secret deal between 5-6 of us" in the party on power sharing.
Earlier, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge had said that the issue of leadership change in the state is not something that should be discussed publicly.
The Game of Thrones in Karnataka has sharpened in recent weeks, with fresh speculation over a possible shake-up at the head of the table after the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
Mentions of an alleged "power-sharing" agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023 have now bobbed up again.
Siddaramaiah's remarks come a day after asserting that the high command's decision in the matter is binding on all, including himself and Shivakumar.
Responding to a question about legislators backing Shivakumar travelling to Delhi, Siddaramaiah said, "Let them go. MLAs have freedom. Let's see what opinion they (the high command) give. Ultimately, the high command has to make the decision. We will abide by that."
“Ultimately, to put a full stop to this confusion, the high command has to take the decision,” he said.
Responding to a question, the CM also said that he has no plans to meet the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
As mentioned, the whole sequence of events was set in motion by DK Shivakumar. The Deputy CM told reporters that he does not wish to speak publicly on the matter as there was a "secret deal among 5-6" of them within the party.
"I don't know. I have not asked to make me the CM. It is a secret deal between five or six of us. I don't want to speak publicly on this," DKS said.
He further said that he “believes in his conscience” and added that he doesn't want to embarrass or weaken his party.
"We exist if the party and party workers are there. I don't want to embarrass or weaken my party," he said at his hometown, Kanakapura, after exercising his franchise in the taluk agriculture marketing committee election.
On Siddaramaiah stating he will be presenting the next budget too, the deputy CM who is also the Congress state chief had said: "I'm very happy. He had served as opposition leader in the past. He has also worked and built the party. We should all work together with the target of 2028 (assembly polls) and target 2029 (Lok Sabha election)."
When asked if the people of Bengaluru South district would support him for the post of CM, he said, "During the Assembly election, I had appealed to the people to vote for me, and they have responded well. They have voted for a collective leadership... I won't say they have voted just for me. Our party workers have worked harder than us."
Responding to another question about the power sharing agreement after the Assembly polls in 2023, Shivakumar said, "Why should I speak about it? You (media) have written things."
Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Kharge was asked by reporters about his possible meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to resolve the leadership crisis.
"If a meeting takes place, we will discuss. This is not a subject to be discussed here and that too in public. I have specially come here to attend an event related to Constitution Day on November 26. I have an invitation for the event. After attending the event, I have review meetings to attend, after which I will proceed further,” he said.
Before his departure to the national capital from Bengaluru, Kharge was accompanied by Shivakumar to the airport in his car.
This came even as the KPCC chief did not meet the party president while Kharge was in Bengaluru over the weekend.
Siddaramaiah on Saturday held over an hour-long meeting with Kharge at his residence in Bengaluru.
While Siddaramaiah is pushing for a reshuffle of his Cabinet, Shivakumar wants the party to first decide on leadership change, party sources said.
Siddaramaiah's key advisor Basavaraja Rayareddy, meanwhile, asserted that the CM will complete his five-year term, saying replacing him "was not easy", and that any discussion on leadership change must only take place at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting.
Dismissing talk of a change in CM, Rayareddy, who is Economic Adviser to the Chief Minister and a senior MLA, questioned the need to replace Siddaramaiah.
"Is he corrupt or anti people?" "We are not aware of any decision by the party suggesting that Siddaramaiah has to step down after the government completes 2.5 years in office.
Siddaramaiah took oath as CM on May 20, 2023 and two days before that Congress Legislature Party meeting was held, where there was a contest, in which Siddaramaiah got majority, and he was elected as the CM."
Speaking to reporters in Koppal, he sought to know why Siddaramaiah should be removed.
"I too voted for Siddarmaiah, none of us were told then that he would remain CM for only 2.5 years. If we were not told, then it means he is the CM for 5 years. So the question of CM change doesn't arise."
Insisting that Shivakumar too had not claimed the CM post, the senior MLA blamed what he called the ongoing confusion created by some MLAs close to Shivakumar.
"They say their leaders should become CM because he gave them tickets to contest polls."
Another close aide of Siddaramaiah and Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan reiterated that the CM will remain in office till 2028 and succeeded by Shivakumar.
Meanwhile, the political confusion with Congress has given ammunition to the opposition BJP and JDS who accused the ruling party leaders of indulging in the tussle for the CM's chair and neglecting governance.
Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra said the state does not want "acting or outgoing CM", and urged the Congress to settle its leadership tussle before the winter session of the legislature begins in Belagavi next month.
(With inputs from Express News Service and PTI)
