Amid a buzz over a possible leadership change in the state, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Friday that all the 140 MLAs of the INDIA bloc are eligible to become ministers and chief minister, but pointed out that CM Siddaramaiah has already asserted that he will complete his full five-year term. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said Siddaramaiah will reshuffle his cabinet, adding that all Congress MLAs are interested in becoming ministers.
"It is natural that they will go and meet the leaders in Delhi. Apart from that, what can I say? They have every right," Shivakumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "Some of them went and met Kharge sahab. They met the CM also. What is wrong? It is their life. No one has called them, they are voluntarily going and showing their faces. They wanted to show their presence that they are in the forefront, can work and they want responsibility."
More than 12 legislators, including Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, have headed to Delhi to meet the top party leadership after the state government completed 2.5 years in the office. The legislators, who are loyal to Shivakumar, want their leader to become the chief minister, as the state government completes 2.5 years in office.
Following the 2023 assembly elections, there was a stiff competition between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah for the top post, but the party decided to make the latter the chief minister. Reportedly, the two sides had reached a comprise based on a "rotational chief minister formula", but Siddaramaiah has asserted that he will remain chief minister for the full five-year term.
"The high command does all the cabinet reshuffle. Did he say anything? Neither I nor anyone should hear what the high command said. DK Shivakumar, I and everyone has to listen to what the high command says... I will present the next budget myself, I will continue all the way, I will meet Mallikarjun Kharge tomorrow," Siddaramaiah said on Friday.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala said he had a discussion with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, and the two have agreed that a "decisively defeated and faction ridden" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are "designedly running a maligning campaign" against the Congress government in Karnataka. In an X post, he also criticised some party leaders for making 'needless' statement, adding that the Congress leadership has warned them from making any public statements on the issue of leadership.
"The sole idea is to undermine the stellar achievements and 5 Congress Govt Guarantees, which have become an outstanding model of inclusive development and distributive justice," Surjewala said. "The opinion of various party functionaries has been taken note of by the leadership."
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