Bengaluru: In a major development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asserted on the floor of the Legislative Assembly that there was no discussion on power sharing in the party and he was elected
by the Legislature Party to be Chief Minister for five years.
During the discussion on North Karnataka during winter session at Belagavi on Friday, Siddaramaiah said that nobody could give him any direction in this regard.
``I don't believe in destiny and no one can give me directions. I was elected by the Legislature Party to be Chief Minister for five years. There was no discussion of any sort over power sharing for two and a half years during that meeting. I will continue to be the chief minister as long as I am instructed by the party high command. As a matter of fact, the High Command is in my favour,'' Siddaramaiah said.
Taking a dig at his deputy D K Shivakumar, who is seeking his `rightful share' with the party high command, which had promised him a half term chief minister post, Siddaramaiah said that he did not believe in destiny and he worked his way ahead.
As a matter of fact, D K Shivakumar, who is being provoked constantly by the Siddaramaiah camp for the last six months has been maintaining a stoic silence and is on a temple run. Even on Friday, he was performing rituals at Andle Jagadeshwari temple at Ankola, after performing Pooja to Atma Linga in Gokarna..
``I don't believe in destiny and I will not go after praying for anything. I just worked my way. I may be physically a bit weaker now, but not politically. I am the CM now and I will continue until the high command says otherwise,'' he said.
The power sharing tussle has been going on for some time as there was an internal agreement in 2023 that D K Shivakumar would be given the post after two and a half years. However, Siddaramaiah supporters started dissent voices against any change in leadership. They even tried to provoke D K Shivakumar to make some wrong statements. However, Shivakumar never reacted.
Only on Nov 20, when two and a half years of Siddaramaiah came to an end, D K Shivakumar's brother and former MP D K Suresh made a public statement, asking Siddaramaiah to stand by the promises he made two and a half years ago. During the next few days, D K Shivakumar supporters made a futile bid to meet leaders in Delhi. By then, even the Congress in-charge of Karnataka -- Randeep Singh Surjewala and K C Venugopal had taken different directions. While Surjewala wanted Siddaramaiah to hand over the power to D K Shivakumar, Venugopal wanted Siddaramaiah to continue, as it would benefit him in forthcoming Assembly Elections in Kerala.
Meanwhile, D K Shivakumar met AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, reminding them of the promises made to him in 2023. LOP Rahul Gandhi had to take a call on the transition. However, he was in a fix as Siddaramaiah denied the agreement itself. If Rahul Gandhi asked Siddaramaiah to make way for Shivakumar, then, the message would be that the Congress had removed a popular OBC leader to appease a leader from the powerful Vokkaliga community. If Shivakumar is not given the Chief Minister post, the party would be letting down a loyal party worker, who stood with the party in most difficult times also and worked for it over 40 years.
Siddaramaiah and his team came to Congress only in 2008 and since then, Siddaramaiah is enjoying lucrative positions like either Opposition leader or Chief Minister. He is never known to take up any responsibilities on the party organisations. Now, Rahul Gandhi has asked Kharge, Venugopal and Surjewala to sort out the issue.
Still, Rahul Gandhi will have the final say over whether Siddaramaiah stays or has to step down as the Chief Minister.
