Leadership tussle: High command has not called me to Delhi, says Siddaramaiah

Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 12 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said he has not been called by the Congress high command to New Delhi, over the leadership issue.

There have been speculations that Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar will be called to the national capital, after the ongoing winter session of the state legislature, to discuss, amid the power tussle within the ruling Congress over the CM post.

"No one has called, unnecessarily you are asking. Have they (high command) told you? Then why are you unnecessarily asking whether the high command has called me on December 19?" Siddaramaiah told reporters in response to a question.

There were speculations about a change in chief minister when the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, as it was believed that there was a powersharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar after the grand old party won the Assembly election in 2023.

As the government crossed this crucial date, activities intensified in Congress, and both the CM and the Deputy CM met over breakfast at each other's residences, on the instructions of the high command. This was seen as a move to pause the leadership tussle between the two and to signal Siddaramaiah's continuation as the CM for the time being, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session. PTI KSU ADB