On Thursday morning, the Home Minister of Karnataka, G Parameshwara, who is said to be a close ally of CM Siddaramaiah, made a controversial remark when he stated that he would accept Shivakumar as the new Chief Minister if the party agreed to the decision.
Zameer Ahmed Khan, another confidante of Siddaramaiah, stated the opposite, confirming that he will continue to remain the Chief Minister. This recent political tussle has complicated the matter regarding leadership in Karnataka. The situation became more tense after this recent on-and-off tussle, with matters escalating to New Delhi and leaders asking the Congress leadership to resolve the issue once and for all.
The Home Minister reported to India Today that though he considers himself to be a part of the race to be the Chief Minister, he was ready to accept DK Shivakumar as the new Chief Minister. The remarks are seen as a signal of a major tussle inside the Siddaramaiah camp. He further added that any transition, if supported by the party, will be smooth.
Emphasising that he also aspires to be the Chief Minister, he said that the decision of the party’s command will be given top priority. He also added that the President of Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, was also a suitable face for Chief Minister, but that he was unaware of a pact between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah.
Zameer Ahmad Khan, speaking about the fact that the ‘chair is not empty’, said that since DK Shivakumar represents the Vokkaligas, he was a natural choice, but the position continues to remain with Siddaramaiah as of now. The leadership tussle in Karnataka was started over a speculation of a change in the leadership and a power-sharing pact between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar.
The chaos became worse as MLAs from the state went to New Delhi asking for a leadership change. The feud has led to the intervention of Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress party also promised to resolve the matter, as it was tainting the image of the party.
