Speaking at Press Club of Bangalore (PCB) Award-2024, Siddaramaiah expressed frustration at what he described as baseless conjecture over his position.
Published Jan 13, 2025 | 3:15 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 13, 2025 | 3:48 PM
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Sunday, 12 January, rubbished persistent speculation about a change in the top post, amid claims that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was poised to take over from the veteran Congress leader.
Speaking at Press Club of Bangalore (PCB) Award-2024, Siddaramaiah expressed frustration at what he described as baseless conjecture over his position.
“There’s no confusion. Yet, [the media] keeps writing that the chief minister will change. The CM chair is not vacant. And if [members of the Congress party] even gather for lunch, you will write reports based purely on speculation,” he said.
“Oftentimes, I’ve seen TV channels make up their own dialogue. It’s all pure speculation… ‘This is what they might have discussed. This is what they might have said. MB Patil said this, KS Muniyappa said this, KJ George said this, Laxmi Hebbalkar said this.’
“What we may have talked about is different, and what you write is different. And what reaches the people is different,” he added.
Siddaramaiah further asked the gathered media persons to keep their conscience in mind when writing such speculative reports.
“If this somehow helps society, benefits the people, keep writing – I have no objections. I just request that you keep society’s well-being and your conscience in mind while writing,” he added.
Since the Congress secured a clear majority in the 2023 Assembly elections, speculation has only grown over a power tussle between Siddaramaiah, then a former chief minister having completed a full five-year term, and other veteran leaders of the party, namely DK Shivakumar and G Parameshwara.
While Siddaramaiah eventually secured a second term as chief minister after lengthy negotiations, in recent weeks, rumours have once again reached fever pitch, with the caste census report emerging as a key point of contention both within and outside the party.
The implementation of the contentious report is firmly opposed by opposition parties BJP and JD(S), as well as the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities – the latter represented by Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar. However, the report has found strong support among Dalit communities, to which Home Minister Parameshwara belongs.
Last week, the influential Vokkaligara Sangha called for an all-party meeting of political leaders, religious pontiffs, and other community representatives to pressure the government against implementing the caste census report. However, in an unexpected move, Shivakumar announced he had asked for the meeting to be postponed, saying it would “create unnecessary confusion.”
In the past, prominent religious leaders of the Vokkaliga community have openly advocated for Shivakumar to be made chief minister since the Congress came to power.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, Home Minister Parameshwara proposed a dinner meeting with Congress ministers and legislators – both current and former – belonging to the Dalit community. The move was widely interpreted as an attempt to showcase his influence and pressure Siddaramaiah to act on the Congress’ election promise to implement the caste census. Some even saw it as a signal of Parameshwara staking a claim for the chief ministerial position.
However, just hours after the announcement, Parameshwara declared the meeting postponed but not cancelled, reportedly following instructions from Randeep Singh Surjewala, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Karnataka.
Parameshwara later stated that the Cabinet might discuss the caste census report during the Congress Legislature Party meeting on 13 January, with its implementation likely to feature as a key agenda item.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs by Nolan Patrick Pinto)
