E-Paper
‘Totally false…’: Cong leader Siddaramaiah denies remarks on CM selection
Congress stalwart Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said his statements over the alleged rift between him and KPCC chief DK Shivakumar for the CM post are false.
Ex-Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has disavowed - as 'totally false' - a comment he reportedly made during an interview with a TV news channel that said the party 'high command' would not select its state unit chief, DK Shivakumar, as the next CM if it should win the polls. He also played down talk of infighting in the Congress' state unit weeks before the 2023 Assembly election.
In a tweet posted this morning, Siddaramaiah tagged the channel and said: "… I never made such comments and will never do such petty politics". He asked for the 'baseless post' to be taken down.
"What is being quoted in media is totally false. All I said is that the selection of the CM is a democratic process, I am an aspirant for CM and he (Shivakumar) is an aspirant… but what they're saying is false," he was quoted later by news agency ANI.
The Congress leader was responding to a tweet by Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, who posted a 74-second excerpt of the interview and a screenshot of the news report; the latter had the alleged quote - "… the high command won't give the CM post to DK Shivakumar" - circled in red.
Surjewala's tweet was critical of the news channel and accused it of trying to create 'fake fissures amongst Congress leaders'. "Time to stop the hatchet job… take care of BJP's sinking ship," he said.
The quote has since been edited to read '… the high command won't take a decision on its own' and to say the choice of a chief minister - should the Congress win a majority - would be the result of a 'democratic process'. "… high command… go by the opinion of the newly elected MLAs."
Karnataka will vote on May 10 (votes will be counted May 13) and the Congress - contesting independently of former ally Janata Dal (Secular) is bidding to oust the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and win an election widely seen as the first big test before the 2024 national election.
Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are seen as chief ministerial candidates for the Congress, with each boasting strong support from different parts of the state and presenting the party with a potential headache. In his interview Siddaramaiah had acknowledged that his rival and he were both gunning for the state's top post and that the selection would be a democratic process.
On this topic, Shivkumar has been as circumspect as his colleague/rival, insisting that the final choice would be made by the party at large. "More importantly than me becoming the chief minister, the Congress government should come to power. That’s what matters to me," he said.
Aware of the optics and the need to present a united front Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have appeared together on many occasions, including when Rahul Gandhi and his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' were in the southern state. They have also, though, held separate election campaigns.
Siddaramaiah loyalists held a big event - dubbed 'Siddaramahotsava' - in August to celebrate his 75th birthday. The event was seen as a show of strength from the former CM's camp.
A few other Congress leaders - including G Parameshwara and Eshwar Khandre - are also seen as potential CM choices for the party and that has been seen as furthering possible rifts.
