Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will complete his full five-year term in the office as the top Congress brass is in no mood to make a leadership change in Karnataka, said sources on Friday amid the ongoing power tussle in the state. Siddaramaiah also held a 10-minute telephonic conversation with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in this regard on Thursday night.
The development comes after Siddaramaiah also confirmed that he will complete his five-year term in the office.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah may also reshuffle his cabinet next month likely after the state legislature's winter session. They also pointed out that Siddaramaiah has support of more Congress legislators than Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Many MLAs loyal to Shivakumar, including Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, are camping in Delhi to meet the Congress top brass after the state government completed 2.5 years in office. After winning the the 2023 assembly polls in Karnataka, the Congress leadership had reportedly finalised a 2.5-year rotational formula amid stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief ministerial post. However, Siddaramaiah has denied finalising such a formula.
Surjewala warns Karnataka Congress MLAs
Amid the ongoing power tussle in the state, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala warned the party MLAs and leaders against making public statements on possibility of a leadership change. In a post on X, he also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "running a maligning campaign" against the Congress government in Karnataka.
"Had a discussion with Karnataka CM and Deputy CM and they agreed that a decisively defeated and faction ridden Karnataka BJP, along with a section of the media, are designedly running a maligning campaign against Karnataka and its Congress government," Surjewala, a Rajya Sabha MP, said.
"INC has sternly warned them from making any public statements on the issue of leadership or falling for the agenda being propagated by the vested interests. The opinion of various party functionaries has been taken note of by the leadership," he added.
