Yathindra says CM Siddaramaiah will continue; D K Shivakumar: Yathindra our high command

Mysyru/Mangaluru: The power tussle in the state's Congress continued on Friday, with MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah saying his father Siddaramaiah would continue as the chief minister for the entire five-year term, drawing a sharp reaction from Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

"The Congress high command has given a clear signal in this regard, although they have not mentioned it anywhere. The high command has not responded to calls for leadership change from some quarters. Hence, I feel my father will continue to be the CM for the rest of the term," Yathindra told reporters in Mysuru.

In a sarcastic reply to Yathindra's statement, Shivakumar said in Mangaluru, "Yathindra is our high command. Whatever he says, I will accept with respect. Let us accept him as the high command when he issues statements like a high command."

Asked about MLA Basavaraju's statement seeking clarity on the power-sharing agreement, Shivakumar said, "I will not respond to statements of Basavaraju or Yathindra. If any response is to be given, it should come from the high command in Delhi," he told reporters.

Yathindra Siddaramaiah

On the court for elected representatives accepting the Lokayukta police B report in the MUDA case, related to his family, Yathindra said, "I have always said that the allegations were false. Those allegations were politically motivated. Now, the truth has prevailed."