‘Five-year term, no doubts’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah ends ‘CM change’ speculation

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah affirmed his commitment to completing his five-year term, dismissing rumors of a leadership change.

Amid growing political speculation over a possible mid-term change in Karnataka's leadership, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has made it clear that he intends to serve his full five-year term, putting to rest persistent rumours of a power transition to his deputy, D K Shivakumar.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with his deputy DK Shivakumar. (ANI) (HT_PRINT)

What Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar said?

Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah dismissed the talk of a leadership change as baseless. “I will continue as Chief Minister for the full term, five years. Is there any doubt about that?” he said, offering a direct rebuttal to speculation that the Congress high command might be considering a switch before the next Assembly polls scheduled for 2028.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who has often been seen as a contender for the top post, also reiterated his support for Siddaramaiah. When questioned about the leadership issue, Shivakumar responded, “Do I have any other option? I support Siddaramaiah. I will go with whatever the high command decides.”

He also stressed that there is no active discussion within the party about changing the Chief Minister. “Our priority is to strengthen the hands of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and ensure that the Congress government delivers effectively. There is no talk of a shift in leadership,” Shivakumar told the media on Tuesday.

Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, brushed aside remarks made by opposition leaders regarding his potential replacement. “Are they the high command of the Congress? R Ashoka is from BJP, B Y Vijayendra is from BJP, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy is also from BJP. Shouldn’t you fact-check their claims before reporting them?” he asked, criticising the media for amplifying politically motivated speculation.

Reports of a possible power-sharing formula between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been doing the rounds since the Congress won the Assembly elections in May 2023. At the time, there was stiff competition between the two senior leaders for the CM’s post, and the party leadership had brokered a truce by naming Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister and Shivakumar as his deputy. Unconfirmed reports also suggested an internal understanding of a “rotational CM” formula, in which Shivakumar might assume the top post after two and a half years—but the Congress has never officially endorsed this idea.

Reaffirming party unity, Shivakumar stated, “There is no dissent or discord in the Congress. With Siddaramaiah leading the government, there is no need to debate leadership.”