Karnataka CM post not vacant, Siddaramaiah will continue: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Sep 2: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said that the CM's post was not vacant and the incumbent Siddaramaiah will continue in it.
He was reacting to senior Congress MLA and Administrative Reforms Commission Chairperson R V Deshpande's comments on Sunday expressing his wish to become the next Chief Minister.
"The Chief Minister's post is not vacant. Our government is office under the leadership of Siddaramaiah. We could have spoken on this if the Chief Minister's post was vacant. The current Chief Minister will continue," Shivakumar said.
Addressing reporters here, the Karnataka Congress President said, "There is nothing wrong in him (Deshpande) desiring for the post, but such desires should not be expressed before the media. He is a senior leader, we respect him."
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Asked about the party’s move if there is an adverse judgment in the MUDA case, the Deputy CM said, "no adverse nothing, the Chief Minister will continue and work."
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is facing allegations of corruption in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment 'scam'.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on August 16 accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna, in connection with the MUDA case.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved to the High Court challenging the legality of the Governor's order.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
