Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday dismissed reports about a possible leadership change in the state, but asserted that he and his deputy DK Shivakumar will abide by the Congress high command's decision. His remark comes after he met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Bengaluru.
Briefing the reporters, the 77-year-old also clarified that he did not discuss about a cabinet reshuffle in the state, adding that the two leaders had a conversation regarding the local body polls, and the Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections.
"There was no discussion about the cabinet. Change in leadership is just speculation; it is a media creation," Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying news agency ANI. "Let the MLAs go, but ultimately, whatever the high command says, we all have to accept it. Be it me or DK Shivakumar, everyone has to accept it."
Many Congress MLAs loyal to Shivakumar had visited Delhi earlier this week and met the top Congress brass with the Karnataka government completing half of its term. The Congress leadership had reportedly finalised a 2.5-year rotational formula amid stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief ministerial post. Though Siddaramaiah has always maintained that no such formula exists.
However, sources have told India TV that Siddaramaiah will complete his term in the office and indicated that a cabinet reshuffle may take place in Karnataka after the winter session of the state legislature in December.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has taken this opportunity to attack the Congress government, with Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy predicting an "imminent and explosive political developments" in Karnataka. "A situation has arisen in the state where it is impossible to say who will take what decisions in politics. Unexpected and explosive developments will occur in the state’s politics," he said on Saturday, suggesting that the Congress government was in "internal turmoil".
