Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah put CM change speculations and power sharing debate to rest on Friday stating that he was elected for five years and will complete his "full term" until the High Command orders otherwise.
"I am the Chief Minister, I will continue till the High Command orders. I have been elected for five years," CM Siddaramaiah clarified on the floor of the Karnataka Assembly. Siddaramaiah noted that he would complete his "full term" and that there was no power-sharing deal about serving for 2.5 years.
Earlier on Wednesday, a dinner meeting of Congress MLAs considered close to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Belagavi stirred political buzz within the ruling party, fuelling speculation over leadership and power-sharing arrangements in the state.
According to sources, cited by news agency PTI, more than 30 MLAs attended the gathering, which was hosted by senior minister Satish Jarkiholi at a city hotel. While some participants played down the event as a routine social interaction during the Assembly’s winter session, others conceded that key political matters were also discussed during the meeting.
This new development comes as the Congress government completed half of its five-year term on November 20, fueling speculation about a potential leadership change. While reports of a power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar have persisted, the two leaders recently met for breakfast at each other's homes at the direction of the party High Command, in what is currently seen as an attempt to defuse the leadership tussle.