A new political buzz has formed in Karnataka, with Congress MLA H A Iqbal Hussain claiming that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar would take over as chief minister early next year.
CM Change Likely Jan 6
Speaking on Saturday, the Ramanagara MP said that Shivakumar was likely to take over as Chief Minister on January 6, replacing incumbent Siddaramaiah.
Hussain told reporters that Shivakumar deserved a chance to lead the state and indicated near confidence regarding the leadership transition. “There is a 99 percent likelihood that he will become chief minister on January 6,” he told PTI, emphasizing his support for the deputy chief minister.
When questioned about the significance of the date, Hussain said there was no special purpose behind it. “I do not know. It is just a random number. Everyone is saying this. The date might be either January 6 or 9. These are the two dates,” he said.
Leadership Race Heats Up
The MLA has been vociferous in his desire that Shivakumar be appointed chief minister, and he restated his position publicly a day earlier.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Railways and BJP MP V Somanna chimed in on the leadership race, backing Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara. At a function in Tumakuru, Somanna expressed his desire to see Parameshwara succeed as chief minister. “Gaining strength is luck. I never imagined that Parameshwara would just serve as the Home Minister. It is our goal to see him become Chief Minister. Not only do I want him to be the Chief Minister, but so do the people of Tumakuru,” he stated.
Responding to a question about Shivakumar, Somanna minimized the deputy chief minister’s chances. “Leave it.” That is secondary. What Shivakumar aspires to be relies on his luck. “Conduct is larger than luck,” he said.
Congress Leadership Talks Intensify
Amid these contradictory claims, sources say Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar would meet with Congress Parliamentary Party chairman Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on December 14. The meeting will take place after the Congress’s huge gathering at Ramlila Maidan, which is part of the party’s ‘Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod’ campaign, which accuses the BJP of cooperation with the Election Commission.
According to a Hindustan Times story, the meeting takes place against the background of an increasing leadership battle inside the Karnataka Congress party. The party presently has a solid majority of about 140 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly.
Speculation about a potential power-sharing deal has grown since the administration reached the midway point of its five-year term on November 20. According to reports, there is an agreement to divide the chief minister’s tenure into two equal terms of 2.5 years each as part of a generational change.
