Karnataka Deputy CM Shivakumar stays tight-lipped on CM change amid Congress tussle

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said he did not want to discuss the CM change issue publicly, as it is a "secret deal" between four and five people in the party, and that he believes in his conscience.

Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, said that he doesn't want to cause any embarrassment for the party and weaken it.

The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a chief minister change in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, citing an alleged "power-sharing" agreement involving CM Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.

Earlier in the day, Shivakumar, who had not met AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge when the latter was in the city for the past few days amid the ongoing power game in the state, accompanied him to the airport as he left for the national capital.

"I don't know. I have not asked to make me the CM. It is a secret deal between five and six of us. I don't want to speak publicly on this. I believe in my conscience. We should work with our conscience. I don't want to cause embarrassment to the party in any way and weaken it. If the party is there, we are there. If karyakartas are there, we are there," Shivakumar said in response to a question about whether him becoming the CM would be final.

Speaking to reporters in his home constituency, Kanakapura, he said, "The CM has spoken. He is a senior leader. He is an asset for the party. He has completed 7.5 years as CM (including an earlier 5 years term from 2013-2018)."

Siddaramaiah has said that he will be presenting the next budget too. "I'm very happy. He had served as opposition leader in the past. He has also worked and built the party. We should all work together with the target of 2028 (assembly polls) and target 2029 (Lok Sabha polls)," he further said.

When told that the people of Bengaluru South (earlier Ramanagara) had given all the four seats in the district to Congress to see him as the CM, Shivakumar said he had not asked anyone for anything.

"During the election time, I had gone to all constituencies, including Mahadevappa (Minister close to Siddaramaiah), to vote looking at my face. I have asked everywhere in Mandya too. I don't dispute it. People have voted. In all 224 assembly segments karyakartas have worked tirelessly more than us and have brought this government to power. The MLAs and ministers are the beneficiaries," he said.

To a question on legislators backing him traveling to Delhi to meet high command with a demand to make him the CM, Shivakumar said he was not aware of it, and that they might be making efforts to become ministers. "I have not telephoned or called any of them (legislators) or spoken to them. I'm not asking them why they went. I don't need it," he said.

A batch of six Congress legislators backing Shivakumar had traveled to New Delhi on November 23 to meet the high command leaders, party sources said on Monday, adding that a few more legislators are likely to travel soon to pitch for Shivakumar as CM.

Last week, some legislators, about ten of them, supporting Shivakumar had travelled to Delhi and met Kharge, as the Congress government completed 2.5 years in office on November 20.

Asked whether there was a power-sharing agreement after the Assembly polls in 2023, Shivakumar said, "Why should I speak about it. You (media) have written things."

Not willing to comment on the statements of other leaders from within the party and opposition on the CM change issue, he said he was not a spokesperson for any of them.

When told that his supporters and party workers were offering prayers for him to become the CM, he said, "Prayers offered today are not that important when compared to prayers offered by mothers and sisters, youths, elders and workers when I was in jail. They prayed that I should be released.... today I'm Deputy CM and party president. They prayed when I did not have any of these positions. They stood by me and gave me moral courage. That's big."

While Siddaramaiah is pushing for a reshuffle of his Cabinet, Shivakumar wants the party to first decide on leadership change, party sources said. According to several party insiders, if the Congress high command approves the Cabinet reshuffle, it would signal that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will complete the full five-year term, which will scuttle the chances of Shivakumar from occupying the coveted post.