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‘Will continue on CM post as long as Cong top brass wants’
CM Siddaramaiah reaffirms his position amid internal party tensions as opposition suggests discrimination against farmers links to power struggles.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday again reaffirmed his authority to the chief ministerial post in the assembly.
The assertion came after Congress MLA from Kunigal, HD Ranganath, known for being close to deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, raised the issue of farmers in his constituency being denied short term loans by the District Central Cooperative Bank, despite neighbouring Madhugiri’s farmers receiving loans cumulatively worth ₹100 crore.
Ranganath alleged discrimination against his constituency. “I am not angry but I want the issue to be fixed,” he said.
Siddaramaiah assured him that the issue would be examined and asked him to place his faith in the government.
However, the opposition questioned whether the grievance reflected deeper rifts within the ruling party, in light of the ongoing speculations around the top post, which currently remain unresolved.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka suggested that the alleged discrimination was deliberate, linking it to internal rivalries. As the exchange sharpened, Siddaramaiah accused the opposition of attempting to exploit internal party matters. “Don’t try to pour salt on the wound. The opposition exists only to do that,” he said.
Ashoka responded by directly invoking the power struggle within the ruling party. “It means there is fire. Ranganath is performing poojas to see that D K Shivakumar becomes chief minister,” he said, triggering loud protests from the treasury benches.
As BJP lawmakers continued to press the issue, Siddaramaiah shifted the debate to his own position, delivering an unequivocal assertion of authority from inside the Well of the House. “I am the chief minister. I will continue as long as the high command wants me,” he said. When reminded that he had previously made similar statements about completing a full term, he reiterated, “Even now I will say it. I am the chief minister and I will remain the chief minister in the future.”
The chief minister went on to frame his tenure as a reflection of the party’s electoral mandate rather than internal equations. “The voters of Karnataka have blessed us to complete a five year term. We were blessed by people twice, in 2013 and 2018 assembly polls, whereas the BJP never got a public mandate and they will not be blessed by the voters in future to hold power single handedly. They will remain in the opposition forever,” he said.
Ashoka countered by claiming that instability was emerging from within the Congress itself. He accused ruling party legislators of fuelling unrest and returned repeatedly to Shivakumar’s ambitions. “Forget putting salt every day, they are only putting salt on your wounds,” he said. “Even when I asked him, he said he has performed special poojas and rituals to become chief minister. It is his dream.”
Siddaramaiah rejected suggestions of disunity, insisting that the Congress legislature party remained intact. “Even if you try to instigate, no one from our side will react. All 140 MLAs are standing in unison,” he said.
Outside the Assembly, Shivakumar addressed questions about his recent visit to New Delhi. Asked whether he had met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, he replied, “You would have seen in the photographs that we met and exchanged pleasantries.”
