Amid talks about who will be the next Karnataka Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday commented on the power tussle in the state.
As reported by ANI, Shivakumar said, “…There is nothing there. I don’t want to comment on it. Whatever the party says, we will work together.”
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about the chief minister in the state after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, in the backdrop of an alleged “power-sharing” agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar in 2023.
Asserting that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is running a good administration and has the backing of MLAs, his son and Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah pointed out that there are no complaints against his father, nor is he involved in any scams, PTI reported.
He said the Congress high command will decide on the demand from some sections for a change of CM.
“Whatever the high command decides is final. So it won’t be right on our part to comment before the high command says anything,” Yathindra told reporters in response to a question on CM change.
Asked whether Siddaramaiah will be CM for five years, he said as a party worker and MLC, he doesn’t see a situation for CM change, because there is no complaint against the chief minister, nor is he involved in any scam.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar both have said that the high command will decide. Mallikarjun Kharge has also said the same… Whatever the decision may be, the responsibility is to run the government, to keep fulfilling the promises made to the people, and that work should continue consistently. The BJP’s strategy has been to change the entire cabinet overnight, but here at least there is a democratic process where discussions are happening and they will take the decision…”
Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Federation of Backwards Class Communities (KSFBCC) has cautioned the Congress party that any move to remove Chief Minister Siddaramaiah amid internal conflicts within the state Congress could have consequences for the party, PTI reported.
Speaking to reporters, KSFBCC president K M Ramachandrappa said that AHINDA (the Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalit communities) is deeply distressed by the ongoing developments.
He also referred to a statement made by Karnataka Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha president L. Srinivas during a press conference on Thursday, in which Srinivas suggested that the Congress high command should consider giving a ‘coolie’ (a token of reward) to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for his hard work in helping bring the party to power.
BJP reacts
BJP leader Boora Narsaiah Goud slammed the Congress over the ongoing power struggle in Karnataka, claiming that the party’s internal conflict is a “tussle of power and paisa” that is negatively impacting the state’s economy.
He further alleged that Congress national leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are pitting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar against each other to extract more money, under the pretext of promising the Chief Minister’s post.
“Congress in Karnataka or anywhere in the country stands for power and paisa. The tussle between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar is only a struggle between the paisa and power,” the former MP told ANI.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah earlier said that the debate over the CM post is an “unnecessary debate”, attributing recent discussions within the party to being about a cabinet reshuffle.
The Chief Minister stated that the senior party leadership would have the final say on the cabinet reshuffle, noting that two of Karnataka’s 34 ministerial positions are currently vacant and will be filled during the process.
Shivakumar reaffirmed his loyalty to the Congress and dismissed rumours about his resignation as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President.
Shivakumar has also requested a meeting with party leader Sonia Gandhi on November 29 to address the ongoing situation.
(With inputs from agencies)
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