The tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, for the Chief Minister’s post escalated on Thursday, turning into a verbal showdown as the two leaders clashed over fulfilling a past commitment.
In a cryptic post on X, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, “The mandate given by the people of Karnataka is not a moment, but a responsibility that lasts five full years. The Congress party, including me, is walking the talk for our people with compassion, consistency, and courage.”
In his post explaining how he “bettered the world”, Siddaramaiah spoke about the five guarantee schemes — Shakti, Gruha Lakshmi, Yuva Nidhi, Anna Bhagya and Gruha Jyoti.
Amid an intensifying power tussle, Shivakumar insisted that “word power is world power”, provoking a witty repartee from Siddaramaiah, who said, “A word is not power unless it betters the world for the people.”
Shivakumar on Thursday wrote on social media, “Keeping one’s word is the greatest strength in the world! Word power is world power.”
While Siddaramaiah is asserting that he will complete his five-year term, Shivakumar wants to replace him to hold the coveted post as the Congress government completed half of its five-year term on 20 November.
The cryptic post is seen as Shivakumar’s reminder to the Congress and Siddaramaiah about a rumoured power-sharing agreement between the two in 2023 when both vied for the CM’s chair after the party swept the state polls.
The schemes mentioned by the CM in various sectors include providing free electricity, cash dole to women heads and free bus rides for women. Siddaramaiah stated that during his first term, from 2013 to 2018, as many as 157 of 165 promises were fulfilled, with an over 95% delivery rate. In the current term, over 243 assurances out of 593 are already completed, and “every remaining promise will be fulfilled with commitment, credibility, and care”, he added.
“The Congress party, including me, is walking the talk for our people with compassion, consistency, and courage. Our word to Karnataka is not a slogan; it means the world to us,” the Chief Minister noted.
After the Assembly election results were announced on 20 May 2023, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were locked in a tough contest for the chief minister’s post. The Congress eventually persuaded Shivakumar to accept the position of Deputy CM.
At the time, some reports suggested that the two leaders had agreed to a “rotational chief minister” arrangement in which Shivakumar would take over after 2.5 years, though the party never officially confirmed this.
Siddaramaiah, however, dismissed these claims and maintained that he would serve as chief minister for the full five-year term.
(With inputs from agencies)
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