Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra asserts his father will complete 5 yrs as Karnataka CM

Mysuru/Bengaluru, Jul 10 (PTI) Congress MLC and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra on Thursday asserted that his father will complete a full five-year term in office.

He said any decision on the leadership change has to be made by the Congress high command and MLAs. AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala has clarified that no such issue is before the party leadership for consideration.

"AICC General Secretary has said that the CM change issue is not before the high command, so why discuss it? The BJP has been saying since the time our government came to power that the government will collapse and the chief minister will be changed. If you believe what they say, nothing will happen," Yathindra said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, he said as the government will complete 2.5 years in office in November, some chief ministerial aspirants who are there in the Congress party may seek the position. There is nothing wrong in it.

"But, ultimately, the high command and MLAs will have to decide....according to me he (Siddaramaiah) will be there for five years. I'm answering this question since the government came to power. Such discussions (about CM) have been going on since then, but did the change happen? No..." he added.

Interestingly, his statement came on a day when Siddaramaiah, while speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Thursday, said there was "no vacancy" for the CM's post as he was very much in the chair, debunking talks of a possible change of leadership in the state.

Siddaramaiah claimed that he would complete his five-year tenure as chief minister and brushed aside talk of him paving the way for his Deputy D K Shivakumar to take over later this year.

There has been speculation within political circles, especially within the ruling Congress, for some time now about the Chief Minister change later this year, citing power-sharing agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, reacting to the CM statement in Bengaluru said there is nothing new in it, as he had reiterated what he said recently here, and the media has to now put an end to speculations about the chief minister change.

Only ten per cent of legislators in the party may be discussing leadership change, Jarkiholi, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah said. The CM's reiteration about completing a full five years term is a clear message for them. "Match close...", he added.

Responding to a question about Siddaramaiah's reported statement that Shivakumar has the support of fewer MLAs, he said, "There was voting done (at the legislature party meeting) while choosing CM after 2023 assembly polls, and as Siddaramaiah got majority votes (of MLAs), he was made the chief minister. On the basis of that, he might have said that he has the support of more MLAs." Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, another confidant of Siddaramaiah, said the latter was announced as the CM after high command gathered the opinion of MLAs at the legislature party meeting, following the assembly poll results in 2023.

"Siddaramaiah has now reiterated (on completing 5 years in office) based on what the high command had decided. I welcome his statement....Congress General Secretary, CM and DCM have said no discussion on leadership change, so Siddaramaiah will continue as CM," he said.

Responding to a question whether Siddaramaiah would take up national politics, Mahadevappa said, "He has made it clear from day one that he is not interested in national politics, but he will contribute to strengthening Congress at the national level. He will remain in state politics." There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May 2023, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy CM.

There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years, but they have not been officially confirmed by the party. PTI KSU KH