Karnataka CM row: Siddaramaiah stands firm, DK clarifies 'no option' remark

DK Shivakumar stated that he will follow the decisions made by the Congress leadership, keeping in mind the goal of winning the 2028 state assembly elections.

Updated on: Jul 3, 2025, 11:08:40 IST

By HT News Desk

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Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday clarified his ‘what option do I have’ remarks amid reports of a leadership tussle in the state, reaffirming his support for chief minister Siddaramaiah, who on Wednesday put to rest doubts weather he will be the CM for the remainder term or not.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar address the media after the state Cabinet meeting, in Chikkaballapur on Wednesday. (ANI )

Shivakumar stated that he will follow the decisions made by the Congress leadership, keeping in mind the goal of winning the 2028 state assembly elections.

"I have to go by my party. My party is important. My leadership's decision is important. We have an aim to bring 2028 (state assembly elections), we will work for that," ANI news agency quoted him as saying.

The Congress leader’s remarks came amid ongoing speculation about internal rifts within the party’s Karnataka unit. Shivakumar had earlier expressed his support for Siddaramaiah, saying, "What option do I have? I have to stand by him and support him. I don't have any objection to it..."

Siddaramaiah denies internal rift in Congress

Soon after DK Shivakumar’s comment on Wednesday, the Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the BJP's claims of internal rift in the State government, terming the allegations as "lies" and reaffirming that his government would complete the full five-year term with him as the chief minister.

"What the BJP says is only lies. You (media) only don't believe what they say. They're known for lies. They don't know how to speak the truth. Doesn't matter whether they believe it or not, we are all together," he said.

The CM said that the BJP was daydreaming and the Congress government in the state would complete its five-year tenure.

He also clarified that the state cabinet meeting held in Bengaluru was part of a series of divisional meetings across Karnataka.

"We did cabinet meetings in the western region. Today, we are holding one in the Bengaluru division. After some days, we will hold a meeting in the Belagavi division also. We are also discussing holding a meeting at Vijayapura," he said.

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HT News Desk
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