Siddaramaiah will continue as CM, says DCM DK Shivakumar
Raichur (Karnataka), Oct 8: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday once again ruled out the possibility of replacing the chief minister, as he asserted that the incumbent Siddaramaiah would continue in the post.
His comments have come in the wake of demands by opposition parties for Siddaramaiah's resignation, and behind-the-scenes political activities within the ruling Congress, following charges against the chief minister in the MUDA site allotment case.
"There is no need for anyone from Congress to discuss or hold meetings. The chief minister has nothing to do with it (case). Investigation is on in accordance with law. Let's see later. Why unnecessarily discuss things now? It has nothing to do with it now," Shivakumar said.
Shivakumar was responding to senior Congress leader and former Speaker K B Koliwad's statement that Prime Minister Narendera Modi "going to villages" and raising MUDA issue during the Haryana poll campaign had affected the party's prospects there.
Koliwad had earlier too said that Siddaramaiah should resign over the MUDA 'scam' keeping the party's interests in mind and to avert further embarrassment, adding that he could become the CM again after coming out clean.
Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, ruling out the chief minister's resignation, said: "there won't be any change."
Asked about the alleged "2.5 years agreement" between him and Siddaramaiah for CM post, Shivakumar said, "that is a different matter, our government will be there, also CM will be there."
There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, a powerful leader from the politically influential Vokkaliga community, for the chief minister's post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May last year, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy Chief Minister.
There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years, but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.
Later speaking to reporters in Hubballi, Shivakumar, in response to a question that some Congress leaders were lobbying the Congress central leadership for CM post in Delhi, said, "no lobby or declaration."
Asked about Minister Satish Jarkiholi being hailed as the next CM by his supporters, he said, "I don't know about it, you ask him. Our Chief Minister is Siddaramaiah. We are working under him, and will continue to do so."
To a question about him becoming CM, he said, "now Siddaramaiah is there (as CM)."
Siddaramaiah is facing the Lokayukta and ED probes into alleged irregularities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi B M by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Siddaramaiah's wife, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others are named as other accused in the case by Lokayukta.
Commenting on the poll results in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, Shivakumar said the Congress was confident that voters would vote for the party with an absolute majority, but the results have come against the belief in Haryana. However, in Jammu and Kashmir the results have come in favour of INDI Alliance as expected, and "people have saved democracy."
The party will look into what went against it in Haryana, he said. "It's a lesson for us, and, accordingly, the party will take further steps cautiously, keeping the verdict of the people in mind..."
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Bihar CM Nitish Kumar takes oath as Rajya Sabha member
New Delhi (PTI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday took oath as a member of Rajya Sabha, marking the end of his two-decade rule in the eastern state and paving the way for a new chief minister.
The oath was administered by Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan in his chamber at a brief ceremony. The Chairman later welcomed him as a member of the Upper House and also on his return in Parliament.
Kumar took the oath in Hindi in the presence of Union Minister J P Nadda, who is also leader of the house, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Panchayati Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur and Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Chaudhary was also present at the oath-taking.
JDU leader and party's working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh, besides BJP MP and former union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy and BJP chief whip in Lok Sabha Sanjay Jaiswal, were among those present during the oath-taking.
"Vice President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, administered the oath to Shri Nitish Kumar as an elected Member of Rajya Sabha, from Bihar, at Parliament House today," the Vice President's office said on X, while sharing pictures of the oath-taking.
After the oath-taking, Kumar came out of the new Parliament building and spoke about the time he was a member of the Lok Sabha and sat in the old Parliament building.
As Kumar assumes the Rajya Sabha role, it marks the end of his long two-decade rule in Bihar. Kumar will soon resign as chief minister and the NDA is likely to elect a new chief minister of Bihar on April 14.
He has already resigned as a member of the State Legislative Council on March 30 after he was elected to Rajya Sabha.
The JD(U) supremo was elected to the Upper House of Parliament on March 16, and he had to quit as an MLC in the 14-day period after his election.
