CM’s son asserts his father will complete 5 yrs as CM

Mysuru/Bengaluru: Congress MLC and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra on Thursday asserted that his father will complete a full five-year term in office. He said any decision on the leadership change has to be made by the Congress high command and MLAs. AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala has clarified that no such issue is before the party leadership for consideration.

“AICC General Secretary has said that the CM change issue is not before the high command, so why discuss it? The BJP has been saying since the time our government came to power that the government will collapse and the chief minister will be changed. If you believe what they say, nothing will happen,” Yathindra said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, he said as the government will complete 2.5 years in office in November, some chief ministerial aspirants who are there in the Congress party may seek the position. There is nothing wrong in it. “But, ultimately, the high command and MLAs will have to decide....according to me he (Siddaramaiah) will be there for five years. I’m answering this question since the government came to power. Such discussions (about CM) have been going on since then, but did the change happen? No...” he added.

Interestingly, his statement came on a day when Siddaramaiah, while speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Thursday, said there was “no vacancy” for the CM’s post as he was very much in the chair, debunking talks of a possible change of leadership in the state. Siddaramaiah claimed that he would complete his five-year tenure as chief minister and brushed aside talk of him paving the way for his Deputy D K Shivakumar to take over later this year.

There has been speculation within political circles, especially within the ruling Congress, for some time now about the Chief Minister change later this year, citing power-sharing agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, reacting to the CM statement in Bengaluru said there is nothing new in it, as he had reiterated what he said recently here, and the media has to now put an end to speculations about the chief minister change.

Only ten per cent of legislators in the party may be discussing leadership change, Jarkiholi, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah said.

The CM’s reiteration about completing a full five years term is a clear message for them. “Match close...”, he added. Responding to a question about Siddaramaiah’s reported statement that Shivakumar has the support of fewer MLAs, he said, “There was voting done (at the legislature party meeting) while choosing CM after 2023 assembly polls, and as Siddaramaiah got majority votes (of MLAs), he was made the chief minister.

On the basis of that, he might have said that he has the support of more MLAs.”