Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sent a clear message on Wednesday, countering increasing support in the Congress party for his deputy, DK Shivakumar, to become Chief Minister.
Refusing to comment on speculation regarding a leadership switch, Siddaramaiah said to reporters, "I will be Karnataka CM for five years; why should there be a doubt?"
The comments were made in the wake of growing voices from Congress members urging Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar to be appointed to the top position in the state government.
Responding to the increasing speculation, Shivakumar made it clear that he has not spurred anyone to insist on his being appointed Chief Minister. He also cautioned party cadres against making comments on the issue in public, stating action will be taken. "If everyone has worked hard, hundreds of people like me have worked hard. Am I by myself? Lakhs of party workers have worked hard. First, we need to think about them," he said.
Confirming his allegiance to the present leadership, Shivakumar said, "What choice do I have? I am compelled to stand with him and work for him. I don't have any objections to it. Whatever the party high command says and whatever they want, it will be done," as per NDTV. He also asserted that there was "no disgruntlement" in the party against Siddaramaiah's leadership.
Even so, there are rumblings within. Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain disclosed that about 100 MLAs are willing to transfer the Chief Minister's position to Shivakumar. A staunch critic of Deputy CM, Hussain allegedly met All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala to push for a change of leadership.
But Surjewala, now in discussions with party legislators, rejected the rumors. He confirmed that there have been no official talks about any leadership shift.
The moves are a sign of the simmering tension within Congress factions in Karnataka, even as the party leadership in Delhi tries to keep its Karnataka government united.
