Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday asserted that he would continue as Chief Minister for another five years, according to news agency PTI. His remarks come amid ongoing tensions within the ruling Congress over power-sharing with Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. "We will not go. We will win again. You cannot win (election). There is no second view about it," Siddaramaiah told opposition BJP MLAs in the Assembly, as they protested the appointment of Congress workers as chairpersons of guarantee implementation committees.
Responding to criticism from Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka, who accused the Congress of setting a wrong precedent by granting party workers influence over government welfare schemes, Siddaramaiah dismissed the claims outright. He reminded the BJP of its recent losses in Assembly bypolls in Channapatna, Shiggaon, and Sandur, adding, "You people had challenged us before Assembly election as to whether we have guts and strength. You saw the fate of your challenge. We will return to power again, and I will be there (as the next chief minister)."
Siddaramaiah’s statement comes at a time when Congress leaders, including Veerappa Moily and MLA Basavaraju Shivaganga, have openly backed Shivakumar for the CM post. Moily recently said, "Nobody can stop him from becoming Chief Minister. The course of history has already been written. Either today or tomorrow, it will happen—it’s just a matter of time."
Shivaganga went a step further, declaring, "Write it down and keep it. If you want, I will write it in blood and give it to you. He will take charge in December 2025."
The leadership battle dates back to May 2023, when the Congress high command chose Siddaramaiah over Shivakumar as Chief Minister despite intense lobbying. Reports at the time suggested a rotational CM formula, where Shivakumar would take over after 2.5 years, though this was never officially confirmed.
Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra earlier this month claimed that the power struggle within Congress was escalating. "Next few days are very crucial for the ruling Congress government. The race for the CM seat is getting bigger day by day," he said, alleging that senior ministers were publicly attacking Shivakumar while others wanted Siddaramaiah to continue.
Meanwhile, BJP legislators have been protesting in the Assembly for two days against the appointment of Congress leaders and workers as chairpersons of guarantee implementation committees at the state, district, and taluk levels. These committees oversee the execution of five key welfare schemes.
BJP leaders accused the Congress of breaching the privilege of legislators by granting non-elected party members influence over district administration. They submitted a memorandum to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, calling for the annulment of these committees.
Siddaramaiah dismissed the BJP’s objections, stating that the practice of appointing party workers to government bodies was not new. "It has been the precedence from the beginning to give opportunities to party workers in governance. The BJP too did the same when it was in power," he said.
Hitting back at the opposition, he added, "Is it not misuse of power when the party workers are made chairpersons of boards and corporations? Who pays them? In Maharashtra, you have made RSS workers personal assistants to all the ministers."
Amid the intensifying power struggle, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge recently urged Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to set aside their differences and prioritise development. Speaking at an event in Kalaburagi, Kharge said, "I compliment Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Together you (both) should go ahead and focus more on the development of the state. If we overlook development, definitely people won’t like us."