Siddaramaiah says he'll continue as Karnataka CM for 5 yrs if Congress high command decides
Mangaluru (PTI); Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said he would continue in office for the full five year term, subject to the Congress high command's decision.
There has been speculation about a possible change in leadership when the Congress government reaches the halfway mark of its five-year term in November—a phase being referred to by some as the "November revolution". However, amid the talk of a leadership change, Siddaramaiah has consistently reiterated that he will complete a full five-year term.
Responding to a question on whether he would remain chief minister for five years, Siddaramaiah told reporters, "If the high command decides."
Asked about his close confidant and former minister K N Rajanna's statement that Siddaramaiah should continue as CM for five years, he said, "It is his personal opinion".
On multiple chief ministerial aspirants within the Congress, Siddaramaiah said, "In a democracy, we cannot tell those in the race not to compete. It is their right. Anyone may claim to be a chief ministerial candidate, but ultimately, the high command will decide."
To another query as to why the issue of a change in leadership keeps surfacing, he replied, "It is because you (the media) keep asking."
Speculation about a leadership change within the ruling Congress has persisted for some time, with reports suggesting an alleged power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
There was stiff competition between the two leaders for the top post after the Assembly election results in May 2023. The Congress high command had eventually convinced Shivakumar to take up the post of deputy CM.
At the time, reports indicated that a "rotational chief minister" arrangement had been agreed upon, under which Shivakumar would take over after two and a half years. However, the party has never officially confirmed this.
Earlier in the day, Rajanna, a Congress MLA from the Madhugiri constituency, told media in Bengaluru that Siddaramaiah was "indispensable" to the Congress.
"I have said it earlier in the Assembly—just as B S Yediyurappa is indispensable for the BJP and the Deve Gowda family for the JD(S), Siddaramaiah is indispensable for the Congress. Everyone accepts this as the truth, though some say nobody is indispensable to the party. From my experience, I can say Siddaramaiah is indeed indispensable to the Congress," he said.
Rajanna added that if the party high command allows Siddaramaiah to go ahead with a cabinet reshuffle as the government completes 2.5 years in office, his leadership will remain "unaffected". If permission is not granted, he said, there could be "political activities".
He also downplayed Shivakumar's visit to New Delhi, saying it might be related to a court case or personal matters. "He may meet the high command and Rahul Gandhi as the state Congress chief and will abide by the instructions they give," Rajanna said.
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Bengaluru: Four arrested for housebreaking, threats, extortion; fake PSI among accused
Bengaluru: Vidyaranyapura police have arrested four persons, including a man posing as a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), for allegedly breaking into a house, threatening the occupants, and extorting money while wearing police uniforms.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mallikarjuna, Pramod, Vinay, and Hrithik.
Police said the accused had hatched a plan to pose as police personnel, conduct fake raids, and extort money from residents by intimidation.
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According to the police, Mallikarjuna had failed the PSI examination twice and later falsely projected himself as a PSI. He allegedly conducted photo shoots in his hometown, Siraguppa, wearing a police uniform, baton, cap, and shoes, claiming to be serving as a PSI in Bengaluru.
On December 7, the four accused allegedly went to the house of Naveen in the Vidyaranyapura limits, threatened him with a stick and an iron rod, and claimed they had information that he was selling ganja. Under the pretext of searching, they allegedly extorted ₹87,000 through bank transfer, ₹53,000 in cash kept in the house, and ₹2,000 from his wallet.
Following Naveen’s complaint, Vidyaranyapura police registered a case and launched an operation, leading to the arrest of all four accused. Police have seized ₹45,000 in cash and the car used to commit the crime.
Further investigation is underway.
