Bengaluru: The leadership-change speculation refused to die down even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah spent more than an hour meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge late on Saturday night.
This was Siddaramaiah’s second meeting with Kharge in less than a week. They met in Delhi earlier this week.
Emerging out of Kharge’s Sadashivanagar residence, Siddaramaiah was asked if he had clarity about his tenure as the CM. “My clarity is, whatever the high command decides, I will follow it.”
The CM, however, said the buzz on leadership change was “only speculation” and “you (media) created it”.
Siddaramaiah said it was a “courtesy” meeting with Kharge. “We discussed party matters. We talked about upcoming elections to zilla panchayats, taluk panchayats and Bengaluru municipalities,” he said. He said he did not discuss with Kharge his plan to reshuffle the Cabinet.
Asked why he looked dull, Siddaramaiah said: “I am never dull. Having said that, I am not excessively happy.”
On some Congress lawmakers visiting the national capital, Siddaramaiah maintained that all must abide by the high command’s decision. “MLAs can go (to Delhi). But ultimately, everyone - leaders, ministers, D K Shivakumar and me - must follow what the high command decides,” he said, adding that he would visit Delhi “whenever they call me”.
The Congress government completed two-and-a-half years in office on November 20, which also came with signals from Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar that he wants to take the reins of the government. While Siddaramaiah is pushing for a reshuffle of his Cabinet, Shivakumar wants the party to first decide his fate.
Cut-off box - BYV: DKS not in touch with BJP Dismissing reports that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is in touch with the BJP the party state president B Y Vijayendra on Saturday said that the BJP is not interested in the Congress internal affairs.