Cong MLA claims Shivakumar will replace Siddaramaiah as CM after two-and-half years

PTI, Oct 27, 2023, 4:41 PM IST

Congress’ Mandya MLA Ravikumar Gowda (Ravi Ganiga) on Friday claimed that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will become the chief minister after two-and-half years of the Siddaramaiah-led government’s tenure.

Alleging that a team which was behind the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2019, was now working to lure Congress legislators with allurements like Rs 50 crore and a minister post, and four legislators have already been contacted, he said there is evidence for it and it will be revealed soon.

”It’s a guarantee that he (Shivakumar) will become chief minister after two-and-half years. There is no second talk about this. He has worked for the party. There is no confusion on this, the opposition is spreading a false narrative in the media,” Gowda said.

Responding to a question about whether there was such an agreement, he said, ”I don’t know about that. I don’t think there is any such agreement. We don’t know what has been discussed at the high command level. But he will become chief minister, he has worked as the state president.” Siddaramaiah was sworn in as chief minister on May 20 this year after the Congress posted a landslide victory ousting the BJP from power.

Also praising Siddaramaiah, stating that he is doing a good job, the MLA further said the government has given five populist guarantee schemes and they are reaching people.

The opposition is trying to create ”unnecessary false controversies”, fearing that Congress will win a minimum of 20 seats in the Lok Sabha polls (out of 28 in Karnataka), but they won’t be successful, he said.

Earlier, too, there had been claims within the ruling Congress about Shivakumar becoming CM at the mid-way of the five year term of this government.

Asked if Siddaramaih will have to resign to make way for Shivakumar as CM after two-and-half years, the MLA said, ”Why discuss all these things now? It is not relevant now. The government is functioning effectively and the betterment of people is before us. When the time comes, things will be decided.” There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister post after the assembly election results in May this year, and the Congress party had managed to convince the latter and made him the deputy chief minister.

Though there were reports that a compromise had been reached based on a rotational chief minister formula, according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years, it has not been officially confirmed by the party.

Also, alleging that the team which worked for the removal of Congress-JD(S) coalition government are now going to the doors of Congress legislators to lure them, Gowda said, there is evidence for that, in the form of — information, videos, documents — as to how many crores have been promised to which Congress legislator, and it will be revealed very soon.

”They (Congress MLAs) were told that a flight will be booked to take them to Delhi, where they will meet Amit Shah (Union Home Minister). It was also told to them that several other Congress legislators are already with them, and they were made to hear certain phone conversations to ensure they believed in it… There is a team working on such a thing. We have evidence for it and we will reveal it,” he alleged.

Stating that four Congress legislators had already been approached, the MLA claimed that former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s former PA, who had joined JD(S) and lost the assembly polls, was among those behind activities to lure legislators.

”All these things have been brought to the notice of the chief minister and deputy chief minister; at the earliest, it will be revealed. MLAs have themselves honestly revealed to the party leadership,” he said, adding that some former legislators have also been contacted.

Highlighting that Congress legislators have not fallen prey to such allurements, Gowda said, Rs 50 crore is being offered, along with the minister post and other things, and there is evidence for that.

Recently, Shivakumar, too, had said — he was aware that a team is active in the BJP to destabilise the government, and the Congress legislators have been informing him and Siddaramaiah, as to who is contacting them and what offer is being made to them.