After a Vokkaliga seer’s demand to make DK Shivakumar the new chief minister of Karnataka, CM Siddaramaiah on Monday said he would abide by Congress’s high command’s decision on the issue of leadership change.
The leader was responding to a question about a political tussle within the party that sparked speculations about a possible leadership change in the southern state. Addressing the media, Siddaramaiah said that the decision lay with the party heads and he couldn’t discuss the issue in public.
“It is not a matter to be discussed in public. Whatever decision the High Command takes, we will go by it,” Siddaramaiah told reporters
This comes after a Vishwa Vokkaligara Mahasamsthana Mutt seer Chandrashekhara Swami last week publicly requested Siddaramaiah to step down and make his deputy D K Shivakumar the new chief minister of the state.
On being asked about the seer’s public appeal, Siddaramaiah said, “I don’t want to comment on what Swamiji says. Ours is a national party. There is a high command.”
Meanwhile, amid reports of infighting, Shivakumar warned his party leaders not to issue public statements on the matter of leadership change and the creation of multiple posts of Deputy Chief Minister.
“If anyone crosses the limit, the party will take a decision,” Shivakumar said.
There have also been demands by some Ministers perceived to be close to Siddaramaiah to create more posts of Deputy Chief Minister and give them to leaders from Lingayat, SC, ST, and minority communities.
Shivakumar, a member of the Vokkaliga community, is currently the only Deputy Chief Minister in the Siddaramaiah government.
At the time of the Karnataka Assembly Elections, there was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the Chief Minister’s post after the declaration results. However, the Congress leadership had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy Chief Minister.
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.
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