Siddaramaiah will be CM until Cong high command decides otherwise: Parameshwara
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said Siddaramaiah will be the chief minister of the state, until the Congress high command decides otherwise.
He said, according to him the high command has not decided anything on CM change till now.
The senior leader from the Dalit community, also played down the demand from some sections that he should be made the CM, by stating that it is up to the high command to decide.
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Responding to a question while speaking to reporters, he said, "The high command is watching everything, and when they feel there is a need, they will decide. They may be of the opinion that there is no such situation now, hence they have not said anything so far on the issue".
Asked whether Siddaramaiah will be the CM for a full five-year term, he said, "Who made Siddaramaiah the CM? It is the high command, and until the high command says that Siddaramaiah will remain in the post".
"As far as I know, the high command has not decided anything on CM change till now," Parameshwara said, adding that he is also not aware of any such agreement regarding rotational CM, after the 2023 Assembly polls.
"Siddaramaiah was declared as the CM, following the election to choose the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, after the Assembly polls. There was no proposal on any change mid-term. Accordingly, Siddaramaiah is the CM and is preparing for the state budget, which he will present next month," he further said.
These comments have come amid the power struggle between CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar over the top post once again coming to the fore, with the former's son Yathindra insisting that his father will complete his five year team, with the party high command having given signal in this regard.
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025.
The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of the government formation in 2023.
Responding to a question on Yathindra's statement, Parameshwara said, he might have made the statement based on the information he has.
"Ultimately, whatever the high command decides is final, what I or someone else says doesn't matter. Depending on the situation, if there is need, the high command will tell their decision," he said.
Ruling out any confusion within the ruling party on the leadership issue, he further said, "there was a Congress Legislature Party meeting recently, if there was any confusion, the issue would have been raised, and the question would have been asked to the CM and Deputy CM."
Asked about the demand for the cabinet reshuffle, he said it is left to the discretion of the CM, and after discussion with the high command, he will decide if there is a need to carry out the exercise.
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Curfew relaxed in Meghalaya's Garo Hills for church services
Shillong (PTI): The curfew in Meghalaya's Garo Hills, imposed in the wake of recent violence that claimed two lives, was relaxed for 12 hours on Sunday for church services, officials said.
West Garo Hills District Magistrate Vibhor Agarwal, in an order, said the curfew will remain in force for 24 hours from 6 am on March 15, unless withdrawn earlier but a 12-hour relaxation from 6 am to 6 pm has been allowed to facilitate public movement to attend church services and other essential activities.
The order, issued under Section 163 of the BNSS, said incidents of violence in various parts of the district posed a serious threat to human life, public safety and property, making it necessary to continue preventive measures.
Authorities said that no person shall move outside their residence during the curfew hours and any violation would attract penal action under Section 223 of the BNS and other provisions.
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East Garo Hills District Magistrate R P Marak, in a notification, said the curfew will remain relaxed from 6 am to 6 pm on March 15 to allow residents to attend church services.
However, authorities said Williamnagar Main Bazaar will remain closed during the relaxation period.
Personnel engaged in essential services such as police, ambulance, electricity and water supply, fire and emergency services, and on-duty government officials and media personnel will continue to remain exempted from the curfew restrictions, officials said.
Curfew was imposed following protests over the issue of the eligibility of candidates in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) polls.
The protests saw incidents of arson, vandalism and clashes, resulting in the death of at least two persons and injuries to several others, while a number of shops, establishments and vehicles were damaged.
In view of the prevailing law and order situation, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced the postponement of the GHADC elections that were scheduled to be held on April 10.
