CM Siddaramaiah dismisses ‘November revolution’ reports, calls it ''media creation''
Chamarajanagar (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday dismissed reports of a 'November revolution', calling the term a "media creation".
He emphasised that his position has been strong from the beginning and will continue to remain so in the future.
Speculation had been circulating about a possible leadership change in Karnataka, suggesting that Siddaramaiah could step down to make way for his deputy, D K Shivakumar, as the next CM. Some had labelled the potential change as the 'November revolution'.
"It is you (media) who coined the term. You cooked up this 'revolution'. Hence, there is no 'kranti' (revolution) or 'bhranti' (confusion). We have been given a five-year tenure to rule. After five years, elections will take place and we will win once again," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
The chief minister reiterated that the people have entrusted Congress with power for five years.
"People have given us the mandate to rule for five years. We will make a sincere effort to fulfil the five guarantees (Gruha Lakshmi, Shakti, Gruha Jyothi, Anna Bhagya and Yuva Nidhi) we have promised," he said, declining to comment on power-sharing discussions.
When asked whether he would remain in office for the full five years, Siddaramaiah said, "What does it mean? These are unwanted discussions. I had told the party high command that two-and-a-half years had to pass, after which a cabinet reshuffle could be considered. It was only after that that these discussions about power sharing started."
When asked if a date has been fixed for the cabinet reshuffle, he said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is in discussion with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
Regarding the 2028 Assembly elections, he said, "Let them (polls) approach."
On how many budgets he would present, Siddaramaiah added that he would continue to do so as long as the people wished.
Addressing a superstitious belief that sitting CMs visiting Chamarajanagar lose power midway, Siddaramaiah said, "I do not believe in superstition. For me, visiting Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, or Bengaluru is the same. I will visit all 31 districts of the state."
He explained that his visit to Chamarajanagar was meant to challenge the superstition and send a message to those who said sitting chief ministers should avoid the district.
"My position has only strengthened. It has been strong from the beginning and will continue to remain strong in the future," he added.
On the issue of power sharing, Siddaramaiah reiterated that Congress has been given a five-year mandate and his government will make a sincere effort to fulfil the five promises it has made.
Speaking about robbers who decamped with Rs 7 crore in Bengaluru on Wednesday, the chief minister said, "We have got clues. The car has already been recovered. We will identify the dacoits and arrest them at any cost."
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge met a high-level delegation from Chile, led by Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday to discuss collaboration in emerging technologies, clean energy, and startup ecosystems, officials said.
The delegation’s visit to Bengaluru, as part of its India engagements, underscores Karnataka’s growing prominence as a preferred partner for global collaborations in technology, innovation, and startup ecosystems, officials added.
The discussions reflected strong alignment between Chile’s evolving technology-focused growth strategy and Karnataka’s established leadership in innovation and deep-tech ecosystems, according to a statement.
Both sides explored opportunities to build partnerships that move beyond traditional sectors and focus on innovation-led growth, talent exchange, and market access.
The meeting focused on opportunities in renewable energy, including green hydrogen and sustainable industrial innovation.
Other potential areas of collaboration included marine biotechnology, aquaculture technologies, and AI applications across traditional industries.
According to the state IT minister, Karnataka is now a global hub for deep-tech, AI, biotech, aerospace, and advanced research, backed by one of the world’s strongest talent pipelines.
“As partners under the global innovation alliance, we must move beyond agreements on paper to actionable collaboration,” Kharge said.
“We are keen to work with Chile on startup exchanges, market access programmes, and building joint innovation corridors, including R&D centres, incubators, and accelerators. Chile’s position as a gateway to Latin America presents a significant opportunity for our startups to scale globally,” he added.
Officials said the engagement builds on the Letter of Intent signed between the Government of Karnataka and the Government of Chile during the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which established a framework for collaboration in startups, emerging technologies, research, and skill development under the Global Innovation Alliance.
Mackenna, Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the country is actively advancing its transition toward a knowledge- and technology-driven economy.
“Our engagement with Karnataka reflects our interest in building strong innovation partnerships that enable technology exchange, talent collaboration, and access to dynamic startup ecosystems,” he added.
“We see significant potential to work together in sectors such as clean energy, digital technologies, and emerging industries, while also strengthening Chile’s role as a bridge between India and Latin America,” he said.
