However, Siddaramaiah also reiterated that he would follow the decision of the high command. “Whatever the high command decides, we have to go by it,” he said.
Published Oct 01, 2025 | 10:55 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 01, 2025 | 10:55 PM
Siddaramaiah in Mysuru. (X)
Synopsis: Following the May Assembly elections in 2023, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were in a fierce competition for the chief minister’s post. Eventually, Congress persuaded Shivakumar to accept the role of deputy chief minister.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, 1 October, while responding to questions from reporters regarding whether he will remain the chief minister for the next two and half years that are left in his term, said, “Yes I will be chief minister for the next two and half years.”
He also asserted that he would perform the floral tribute in the Dasara festival in the coming years as well.
“They opposition had said it would not be possible for me to become chief minister for the second time or present the budget. Yet, I have continued as chief minister for the second time and presented the budget,” he said.
However, he also reiterated that he would follow the decision of the high command. “Whatever the high command decides, we have to go by it,” he said.
Following the May Assembly elections in 2023, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were in a fierce competition for the chief minister’s post. Eventually, Congress persuaded Shivakumar to accept the role of deputy chief minister.
There were reports suggesting a compromise had been reached, involving a “rotational chief minister formula,” with Shivakumar set to assume the top post after two-and-a-half years. However, these reports have not been officially confirmed by the party.
Since then, there have been numerous instances, when either of the leaders, and other Congress MLAs have referred to the issue.
In March, MLA Basavaraju Shivaganga claimed that DK Shivakumar would assume the Chief Minister’s position by the end of the year.
However, DK Shivakumar then clarified that he would adhere to the directions of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, refraining from discussing power-sharing issues in the state.
In 2024, ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Siddaramaiah, asked the people of his Varuna Assembly segment to give the Congress candidate a lead of at least 60,000 votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, to ensure that he remains in the post.
At the same time, in Mandya, Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president DK Shivakumar, who has made no secret about his chief ministerial ambitions, told the people that the desire with which they supported the party in the Assembly poll in May last year, keeping him in mind, “will not turn out to be false.”
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Anisha Reddy)
