Picture Credit : @DKShivakumar/X
As the Siddaramaiah versus D K Shivakumar battle for the Chief Minister’s post in Karnataka intensifies, more MLAs supporting the latter are dashing to Delhi in an apparent bid to hold parleys for his elevation while the incumbent said on Monday that he will continue in the top post if the party high command decides.
With six MLAs from the Shivakumar camp landing in Delhi and more likely to join them, besides those who had already visited the national capital, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the high command takes the ultimate call on the leadership change, and that it should be accepted by himself as well as his deputy.
“We will abide by the high command decision. If they decide I should continue (as CM), I will continue. Ultimately, whatever the high command decides, I should accept it. Shivakumar should also accept it,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
Asked if Shivakumar would become the CM, he said, “When I have said the high command will decide, you are asking me the same thing again.”
The veteran leader’s remarks came amidst supporters of Shivakumar, also the state Congress chief, flying to Delhi.
At least six legislators backing deputy CM Sivakumar landed in the national capital on Sunday night to meet Congress leaders, even as a rumoured power-sharing agreement between the top two leaders in 2023 has only fuelled the speculations.
As the Congress government completed its 2.5 years of term on November 20, there have been speculations that there may be a CM change, which is being referred to by some as the “November revolution” in light of the power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar when the party won the 2023 assembly polls.
Meanwhile , Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has said that any decision on the matter would be taken solely by the party’s top leadership, adding that he had “nothing to comment” at this stage.
