“I Will Be CM for the Full Five Years”: Siddaramaiah Reaffirms Ahead of Rahul Gandhi Meeting

BM TEAM

New Delhi/Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday reiterated that he will remain in office for the full five-year term.

Speaking in an interview with a private news channel ahead of his scheduled meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said, “I have already made it clear on July 2 that I will serve as the Chief Minister for the entire five-year term. DK Shivakumar was present when I made that statement.”

He further emphasized that there has been no discussion within the party regarding any power-sharing arrangement after two-and-a-half years. “I will continue to hold the Chief Minister’s post,” he asserted.

Siddaramaiah noted that the Congress is a high-command-driven party. “There was no agreement or discussion about a mid-term change in leadership during the 2023 assembly. The high command had instructed us to follow their decisions, and both I and DK Shivakumar are committed to doing so,” he said.

While acknowledging that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar does have aspirations to become Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah said there was nothing wrong with that ambition. However, he added, “The seat is not vacant, and even Shivakumar himself has acknowledged this.”

He also clarified that Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala had not raised any questions regarding leadership. “There will always be a few MLAs supporting Shivakumar, but the numbers are not significant,” he concluded.