<p>Bengaluru: Senior Congress lawmaker K N Rajanna said Tuesday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will “sacrifice power” if top party leader Rahul Gandhi asks him to step down. </p>.<p>This signals a shift in the stance of the Siddaramaiah camp, which has maintained that there would not, and should not, be any change in leadership. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“The chief minister has an open mind. He has said he would abide by the directions of the high command and Rahul Gandhi, and that everyone should cooperate,” Rajanna, a Siddaramaiah loyalist, said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The CM’s mindset is that he is ready to sacrifice power or continue in power as per Rahul Gandhi’s directions. He will abide by Gandhi’s decision.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rajanna’s statement is being seen as the Siddaramaiah camp’s attempt to mount pressure on Rahul Gandhi to decide on the leadership dispute with Shivakumar. In political circles, Rahul is seen as amiable towards Siddaramaiah.</p>.Muniyappa urges Congress high command to end uncertainty on Karnataka CM post.<p class="bodytext">Rajanna, the Madhugiri MLA, also urged the high command to clear the confusion surrounding the chief minister’s tenure.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The longer the confusion continues, the more detrimental it is for the party and governance,” he said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">If Siddaramaiah is replaced, the next chief minister should be a Dalit, Rajanna said. “I’m committed to the statement that there should be a Dalit CM.” </p>.<p class="bodytext">Rajanna, who recently lamented that Siddaramaiah had become “helpless”, reiterated his statement: “Compare Siddaramaiah as CM during 2013-18 and 2023 to now, there’s a huge difference and people are talking about it.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi and Social Welfare Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, both Siddaramaiah supporters, are in Delhi. Last week, Shivakumar spent a couple of days in the national capital. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Senior Congress lawmaker K N Rajanna said Tuesday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will “sacrifice power” if top party leader Rahul Gandhi asks him to step down. </p>.<p>This signals a shift in the stance of the Siddaramaiah camp, which has maintained that there would not, and should not, be any change in leadership. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“The chief minister has an open mind. He has said he would abide by the directions of the high command and Rahul Gandhi, and that everyone should cooperate,” Rajanna, a Siddaramaiah loyalist, said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The CM’s mindset is that he is ready to sacrifice power or continue in power as per Rahul Gandhi’s directions. He will abide by Gandhi’s decision.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rajanna’s statement is being seen as the Siddaramaiah camp’s attempt to mount pressure on Rahul Gandhi to decide on the leadership dispute with Shivakumar. In political circles, Rahul is seen as amiable towards Siddaramaiah.</p>.Muniyappa urges Congress high command to end uncertainty on Karnataka CM post.<p class="bodytext">Rajanna, the Madhugiri MLA, also urged the high command to clear the confusion surrounding the chief minister’s tenure.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The longer the confusion continues, the more detrimental it is for the party and governance,” he said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">If Siddaramaiah is replaced, the next chief minister should be a Dalit, Rajanna said. “I’m committed to the statement that there should be a Dalit CM.” </p>.<p class="bodytext">Rajanna, who recently lamented that Siddaramaiah had become “helpless”, reiterated his statement: “Compare Siddaramaiah as CM during 2013-18 and 2023 to now, there’s a huge difference and people are talking about it.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi and Social Welfare Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, both Siddaramaiah supporters, are in Delhi. Last week, Shivakumar spent a couple of days in the national capital. </p>
