Karnataka Chief Minister on Monday snapped at a reporter over a question about a possible change in the leadership in the state.
There has been speculation about a change in leadership in Karnataka when the Congress government reaches the halfway mark of its five-year term later this month, a development referred to by some as the “November revolution”.
Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have demanded that he should become the next Chief Minister.
“Don’t you have anything else to ask? Let people talk about whatever they want, but who is the high command? Have Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, or Mallikarjun Kharge spoken about this?” he asked the reporter, referring to senior Congress leaders.
“Why are you always talking about it? Why was there a need to ask this question now? Other than the high command, others talking about this has no significance,” he said.
Siddaramaiah also said he would speak to the high command about the cabinet reshuffle after the Bihar assembly elections, which are scheduled to take place on November 6 and November 11.
There was tough competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister’s post after the Karnataka assembly election results were announced in May 2023. The Congress had then convinced Shivakumar to take up the Deputy Chief Minister post.
Some reports at the time, however, claimed that a compromise had been reached based on a “rotational chief minister formula,” according to which Shivakumar would take the helm from Siddaramaiah after two-and-a-half years. Those reports were vehemently rejected by the two leaders and other party members.
Siddaramaiah also recently said he would continue in office for the full five-year term, subject to the Congress high command’s decision.
Last week, Shivakumar also said that there was complete unity within the state government. He said there is no need for the media or the people in Congress to search for a leader.
“Only what the Chief Minister and I have spoken matters. Apart from that, no one else’s words carry any value,” Shivakumar, who also heads Congress’ Karnataka unit, said.