Shivakumar says no talks on leadership change in Karnataka, asks party leaders not to speak to media

Bengaluru | Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said there is no discussion on leadership change and stressed on strengthening the hands of CM Siddaramaiah and the party's government in the state.

Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, asked party leaders and legislators not to speak to the press on the leadership change issue.

He said a notice will be issued to Ramanagara MLA H A Iqbal Hussain, who has been making statements that Shivakumar should become the CM.

Speculation over leadership change has resurfaced with some party MLAs, including Hussain and H C Balakrishna (Magadi) making claims about Shivakumar becoming the CM later this year. Both of them are considered close to Shivakumar.

"Statements are being made. We want discipline in the party. Discipline is important. No issue of leadership change. There is no discussion or anything on this. No one is in a hurry, 2028 is important for us," Shivakumar told reporters here.

Responding to a question, he said, "I will issue a notice to Iqbal Hussain. I don't want anyone to say that I will become the CM. Today or tomorrow, I will issue a notice to him. I also don't want Balakrishna to speak in my favour..."

Hussain has claimed that Shivakumar may get an opportunity to become CM in two to three months.

Asserting that no leader or MLA from the party should speak to the media on such matters, Shivakumar said, "..no one should go before the press. I'm saying it, no press. I'm saying it, whether it is Iqbal Hussain or B R Patil or Balakrishna or anyone else, there is no need."

"Siddaramaiah is the chief minister, strengthening his hands and the hands of the government is the only thing," he added.

There have been speculations 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. But such talks had taken a backseat for some time, after strong instructions from the party high command.

There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May 2023, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy CM.

There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years, but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.

Earlier, Hussain, speaking to reporters in Ramanagara, claimed that over 100 MLAs are expecting a change in leadership.

"Not only me, a number of legislators. Over a hundred legislators are expecting a change. A good administration and that an opportunity should be given to him (Shivakumar) as he has worked hard and fought for organising the party. What was the situation when he was made the KPCC president? What is the situation now? How it has grown with strength. Who is responsible for it? Everyone knows. So everyone will stand with him," he said.

Despite the KPCC chief's warning, later in the day, after meeting AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Hussain said he stands by his earlier statement that Shivakumar be made the CM. "We want a change for Congress to come to power once again and for those in the party to grow further," he said.

He further said that he had placed the demand for change before Surjewala, and was hopeful that the high command would take a favourable decision.

On his part, Balakrishna said, he has demanded that Shivakumar should be given an opportunity, but has not sought for CM Siddaramaiah to be changed tomorrow itself or immediatly. The time frame will be decided by the high command.

'Yes, I am lucky', says Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru | Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said he was lucky and hence he holds the post.

Reacting to Aland Congress MLA B R Patil's statement, Siddaramaiah told reporters, "Yes, I am lucky. That's why I became the Chief Minister."

Patil, who is upset with the Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, said on Tuesday that Siddaramaiah is lucky.

"I was among the eight MLAs who quit JD(S) and joined the Congress. A few are MLAs, and some others have become ministers. Lucky among us was Siddaramaiah as he became the Chief Minister," Patil told reporters.

He also said that he had a 45-minute discussion with Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is in charge of the Karnataka state unit of the Congress party.

Patil, a ruling Congress MLA, had recently alleged that there was corruption in the allotment of houses for the poor in his constituency, Aland.

Minister Khan rubbished the allegation and said the allotment is being done transparently.

Soon after Patil's statement, two more Congress MLAs, Raju Kage and Belur Gopala Krishna, too, vented their anger against their own government.

To contain the dissent in the party, Surjewala is in Bengaluru and is speaking to the MLAs to understand the problems faced by them.