Siddaramaiah is a two-time Chief Minister of Karnataka (File).
Bengaluru:
Congress leader Priyank Kharge on Friday stirred the ‘who will be Chief Minister’ pot in Karnataka, telling reporters he “will say ‘yes'” if the party’s high command asks him to replace Mr Siddaramaiah.
Mr Kharge, Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge’s son, is currently the state’s IT and Tourism Minister.
“As I have said four people sit together in Delhi (and decide). Barring those four… whoever talks has no value. High command should say… if they say I am Chief Minister, I will say ‘Yes’ to it,” he said.
The Congress stormed to power in the southern state this year – winning 135 seats to the BJP’s 66 to defeat oust the party then in power. That was followed by a tense few days as Mr Siddaramaiah and Congress’ state boss, DK Shivakumar jostled for the Chief Minister’s post. The former won out; the party placated the younger leader with the Deputy CM post and a host of other responsibilities.
However, there was speculation then, and there is speculation now, a power-sharing deal is written into the agreement that saw Mr Siddaramaiah sworn in to the top post. Sources told NDTV of a rough understanding that could see Mr Shivakumar succeed Mr Siddaramaiah 30 months on.
Such a switch, though, is likely to hinge on how many Lok Sabha seats the Congress wins in the 2024 general election; this in a state that historically votes the opposite way from an Assembly poll.
READ |Siddaramaiah Karnataka CM, Congress Has Power-Sharing Deal
Operational details aside, that speculation resurfaced this week after an in-house squabble – between Siddaramaiah loyalist Satish Jarkiholi and Mr Shivakumar. This prompted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to insist “my government will last for five years… I will be CM for all five years.”
READ | “I’m Chief Minister, Will Continue”: Siddaramaiah On Rotational Term Buzz
The party has sought to close ranks – senior leaders say all is well and that all in the state will abide by decisions of the high command (in other words, the Gandhis and Mallikarjun Kharge).
An irked Mr Shivakumar told reporters: “Did we tell you (about power-sharing) when we took oath… why are you unnecessarily creating things? It’s not necessary.”
Mr Shivakumar and Mr Kharge aren’t the only chief ministerial hopefuls. State Home Minister G Parameshwara has made no secret of his desire to sit in Mr Siddaramaiah’s chair. He was reacting to cabinet colleague KN Rajanna’s comment – that he “has the luck (of becoming Chief Minister)”.
Mr Parameshwara said, “I am grateful to Rajanna. I too desire for that luck to happen.”
With input from agencies
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