Just a month after storming to power in the state with a brute majority, the truce brokered between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, the tallest leaders of the Congress in Karnataka may have already started to fall apart.
Congress ministers, loyal to Siddaramaiah, have suggested that the chief minister would continue on his position for a full five-year term. These statements, understandably, have not gone down well with the supporters of DK Shivakumar, who had dug in his heels on the demand for the top post and was reportedly placated only after the intervention of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
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Ministers who have backed a full term for Siddaramaiah as CM include Industries minister M B Patil, Social Welfare minister H C Mahadevappa and Public Works minister Satish Jarkiholi. “AICC general secretary (K C) Venugopal has said in a news conference…. that Siddaramaiah will remain CM for five years,” Patil said recently.
DK Suresh, Shivakumar’s brother and the lone Congress MP from Karnataka in the Lok Sabha, hit back at Patil for his remarks and advised the leader not to indulge in making statements on the issue. “I can respond to M B Patil. But tell him (such statements are) not necessary,” he said. According to The Indian Express, the two leaders also engaged in a spat after a cabinet meeting recently.
On Sunday, Social Welfare minister Mahadevappa also waded into the matter and said that Siddaramaiah will continue as the Karnataka Chief Minister. “He is the chief minister. He will continue as chief minister,” he said.
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Suresh responded to the remarks against the Congress minister and said that Mahadevappa is a mature leader and wondered why he was making such remarks. “He is a mature leader with a lot of ideologies and his own political strength. He is working as a senior minister now. I think he is more interested in other issues than working as a minister. That’s why he could be saying these things. What more can I say?” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
Public Works minister Jarkiholi suggested that the central leadership of the Congress never announced that Siddaramaiah’s tenure would be limited to half a term and said that it was likely that the CM would continue on his position.
How Congress settled the Karnataka CM question
Having won the Assembly elections with a clear majority on May 13, it took a week for the Congress to announce Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister of the state. The interim period of a week saw many back and forths as Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar remained steady on their claim to chief ministership.
The issue was finally settled with Siddaramaiah getting the CM’s chair and Shivakumar, Deputy CM’s post along with two powerful ministries. While it was widely reported that the party high command had come out with a power-sharing formula of equal terms to both leaders, there was never any public acknowledgment of the same by either the central leadership or the party leaders in the state.
DK Suresh hints at retirement
In apparent signs of displeasure with the party for refusing chief ministership to his brother, Suresh on Saturday said that he was unsure about contesting the Lok Sabha elections next year. “I have not taken any call on contesting elections. I have to ask party workers and leaders. If there is a suitable candidate, I am ready to back them,” he said.
Responding to a question on whether he had communicated the decision to the party leadership, Suresh said it is enough to bring it to the attention of his voters. “Why should I bring it to the attention of party leaders? Party leaders will give me a ticket if I apply. If I don’t, they will find someone else,” he said.
