Agriculture Marketing and Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil
Credit: X/@iShivanandpatil
Vijayapura: Amid the ongoing “tussle for power” between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Agriculture Marketing and Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil has said that AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge is the most deserving candidate for the Chief Minister’s post.
Speaking to reporters in Vijayapura on Tuesday, Patil said, “I regret not voting for him in the past. He is the most valuable and eligible leader in the grand-old-party.”
Calling the internal competition for power a “purely intra-party matter,” Patil remarked that it is natural for many leaders to aspire to become chief minister.
“Everybody wants to be CM, but only one person can hold the post. If there were ten such posts, many senior ministers would have already become chief minister,” he quipped.
He added that sincere service to the party should be rewarded.
“Some may get a full five-year term, while others must be content with two-and-a-half years,” he said.
Patil dismissed speculation over meetings involving senior leaders. “There is nothing wrong if the Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister meets Kharge or holds a closed-door discussion. Ministers often visit Delhi for departmental work. Linking every visit to lobbying for CM’s post or a ministerial berth is unnecessary,” he clarified.
On a possible cabinet reshuffle, Patil said that any decision regarding a rejig rests solely with the Chief Minister.