Banglore : Breaking his silence on rumours of a change of guard in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said factionalism was not in his blood and reaffirmed that Siddaramaiah would complete his term as chief minister. All 140 MLAs are my MLAs. Making a group is not in my blood. Both the Chief Minister and I have time and again said we abide by the high command, Shivakumar said.
Earlier this week, a group of MLAs loyal to Shivakumar headed to Delhi, further fuelling speculation that a leadership change was on the cards, with a section terming it a November revolution. The fresh drama coincided with Siddaramaiah completing two-and-a-half years in office. Dismissing the rumours, Shivakumar said it was natural for the MLAs to meet the Congress leadership to lobby for posts ahead of a Cabinet rejig.
Everyone wants to become a minister, so it is quite natural for them to meet the leadership in Delhi. It is their right. We can’t stop them and say no, Shivakumar, who has burnished his credentials as a troubleshooter in the Congress, said. The Chief Minister has said that he will complete 5 years. I wish him all the best. We will all work with him,” the Vokkaliga strongman said.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah said that the idea of a leadership change amounted to a media creation. He said the government had a five year mandate and that “there is no kranti or bhranti,” adding that talk of him stepping down was unfounded. He also explained that an earlier discussion with the party leadership about a possible cabinet reshuffle after two and a half years had been misinterpreted, contributing to the speculation.
The chief minister also responded to a prevailing superstitious claim that leaders lose power after visiting Chamarajanagar, saying that he deliberately travelled there and added, “My position has only strengthened. It has been strong from the beginning and will continue to remain strong.”
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