Leadership tussle escalates as CM and Dy.CM air divergent views on ‘pact’

The leadership tussle in the Congress government escalated on Friday, the last day of the legislature session here, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asserting that he would complete the full term and there was no agreement to restrict him to two-and-half years.

Taking a divergent view, Deputy Chief Minister and aspirant for the top post, D.K. Shivakumar, speaking in Gokarna later in the day, stated that there was indeed a pact which both would abide by.

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sent a stern message by declaring he would complete the full term and the Congress high command was, in his view, in his favour.

“I am the Chief Minister now and I will continue as the Chief Minister in future also,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said while replying to the debate on the development of North Karnataka.

Mr. Siddaramaiah denied speculation that there was a power-sharing understanding as per which he had to step down after two-and-a-half years.

“The party high command has never said that my term is only two-and-a-half years. I have been chosen for five years and I will be there for five years,” he said, while replying to repeated insinuations by the Opposition members on whether he was a Chief Minister with “just two-and-a-half-year term.”

Prior to this, the Chief Minister had reiterated that they were “a high command party” and he would abide by whatever it decides.

“As per my feeling, the high command is in favour of me,” he had said. A few days ago, the Chief Minister had maintained that he would continue in the post “till the high command wants him”.

Asked about this in Gokarna, where he was visitng a temple, Mr. Shivakumar said that Mr. Siddaramaiah and he had reached an agreement. “The party high command has forged the agreement. Both of us will go as per that agreement.”

On the Chief Minister’s statement that there was no agreement, he said, “I have never said he won’t be there for five years. I have also not said that high command was not in his favour. He is the Chief Minister because the high command is with him.” Asked if the Chief Minister would change, he said, “You people are discussing all this. We will go by the party directions.”