Will remain CM for next 2.5 years, repeats Siddaramaiah amid Winter Session in Karnataka: ‘High command in our favour’

The Chief Minister stressed that there was no agreement for power-sharing after 2.5 years with his deputy and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar. “We feel the party high command is in our favour,” Siddaramaiah said, amid speculation in some quarters that Shivakumar was likely to up the ante in his efforts to become the chief minister after the legislature session concludes on Friday.

“For the next 2.5 years also, I will be the CM,” Siddaramaiah said as the Opposition BJP suggested that he did not appear confident of remaining in the post. “We are in power now, will remain in power for five years and we will return in 2028. The BJP will not come to power in Karnataka on its own,” he added, in a pointed remark at the Opposition.

Siddaramaiah, in the course of the reply, also suggested that he remained politically strong although he may have weakened physically of late. He had returned to the legislature on Thursday after a brief absence due to a stomach ailment.

Dinner meetings with MLAs

His latest remarks come amid the Winter Session of the Karnataka legislature which began on December 8 and has been marked by frequent dinner meetings of various groupings of legislators allied to the chief minister and his deputy.

On Thursday night, a group of MLAs from backward and Dalit communities, cutting across party lines, had dinner with Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satish Jarkiholi – who is viewed to be close to the chief minister – in what is seen as a counter to another dinner meeting organised by Shivakumar for his supporters a few days ago.

Earlier this week, Siddaramaiah had asserted in the legislature that he would abide by any decision of the party high command on the leadership issue amid an obvious effort by Shivakumar to reignite the issue of leadership change in the public domain. “I am the CM. I am CM now and until the high command decides,” Siddaramaiah had said on Tuesday.

Congress leadership’s directive

Since November 20, when the Congress government in the state completed half of its tenure, speculation has intensified over whether Shivakumar would replace Siddaramaiah in the coming days, though Siddaramaiah’s loyalists have argued that the Congress high command is not keen to destabilise state politics.

With Shivakumar trying to keep the issue alive through the media and his supporters, including religious leaders, the Congress high command had earlier directed the two leaders to hold breakfast meetings to convey the message of unity ahead of the Winter Session of the legislature.

Curated For You

Dhurandhar ​Box Office Collection ​Day 1​4 ​Worldwide Update: Ranveer Singh film sells 1.72 lakh tickets for day 15; earns Rs 702 cr globally till now

Avatar Fire and Ash Movie Review LIVE Updates: James Cameron directorial ‘absolutely spellbinding’, ‘gorgeous creation’, say early reviews

BUILDING PUNE: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River connecting Hadapsar and Kharadi