Siddaramaiah categorically stated that certain MLAs' opinions do not reflect the party's stand.
Published Jul 10, 2025 | 7:22 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 10, 2025 | 7:22 PM
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. (X)
Synopsis: Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Siddaramaiah said there was no agreement regarding any transfer of power. ‘Both Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and I have repeatedly made it clear that we are committed to the decision of the party high command,’ he said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has firmly dismissed the ongoing speculation about a possible change in leadership in the state, calling it a “media creation” and stating that there is no room for such assumptions.
Speaking to the media at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, Siddaramaiah clarified that the Congress party’s in-charge for Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, had already stated that his meetings with MLAs were not related to any change in the Chief Minister’s post.
“Once the AICC general secretary himself has said there is no such discussion, there is no room for speculation. This entire talk is a creation of the media,” Siddaramaiah said.
“No discussion taken place, that is my reply,” he added when asked if the topic of Chief Minister change is over. On whether he will be completing his full five-year term as Chief Minister, he responded, “Mr. DK Shivakumar himself said it that there is no vacancy of the Chief Minister post.”
Addressing media questions regarding a possible power-sharing agreement within the Congress leadership, Siddaramaiah reiterated:
“There is no agreement in place regarding any transfer of power. Both Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and I have repeatedly made it clear that we are committed to the decision of the party high command. It’s natural that discussions on leadership arise midway through a government’s term, but I have already clarified that I will remain Chief Minister for the full five years.”
He pointed out that even Shivakumar has himself said that there is no vacancy in the Chief Minister’s post.
When asked about statements made by a few Congress MLAs regarding a possible leadership change, Siddaramaiah said:
“Some MLAs may express their personal opinions, but this does not reflect the party’s position. There’s no significance to this speculation about power transfer.”
Siddaramaiah had on 2 July dismissed speculation that he plans to resign in November, calling it a “baseless lie” being spread by the state’s BJP leadership.
“BJP is daydreaming about a change in power in our government. BJP leaders are so unparalleled in telling lies, they don’t even know how to speak the truth,” Siddaramaiah told reporters at Nandi Hills, in Chikkaballapura, where a cabinet meeting of the Bengaluru Revenue Division was held.
In recent days, speculation over a possible leadership change has grown, with talk of a power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. The agreement reportedly has Shivakumar take over as Chief Minister halfway through the Congress’s five-year term.
The speculation intensified after AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s cryptic response when asked about the matter on Monday.
“It is in the hands of the party high command. No one can say what is going on in the high command. It is left to the high command and they have the right to take further action, but no one should create problems unnecessarily,” Kharge said.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
