My son only spoke of ideological successor: CM

Two days after his son Yathindra created a political stir by suggesting that Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi was fit to be his successor, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah clarified on Friday that the reference was only to an “ideological successor” but it had been “twisted” out of context.

Answering reporters’ questions here on Friday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “What can I do if his statement is twisted? I asked Yathindra what exactly he had said. He told me that he had only spoken of Satish Jarkiholi as an ideological successor, not as the next Chief Minister.”

When asked if it was inopportune to have made such a statement in the midst of an intense debate on leadership change, an irritated Mr. Siddaramaiah blamed the media for “wrongly presenting” Dr. Yathindra’s remarks.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar broke his silence on the episode and said all party leaders should follow the party discipline, and that he would take up the matter with the high command.