“Yes, I am lucky”, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
BENGALURU, July 1: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said there is no discussion on leadership change and stressed on strengthening the hands of CM Siddaramaiah and the party’s government in the state.
Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, asked party leaders and legislators not to speak to the press on the leadership change issue.
He said a notice will be issued to Ramanagara MLA H A Iqbal Hussain, who has been making statements that Shivakumar should become the CM.Speculation over leadership change has resurfaced with some party MLAs, including Hussain and H C Balakrishna (Magadi) making claims about Shivakumar becoming the CM later this year. Both of them are considered close to Shivakumar.
“Statements are being made. We want discipline in the party. Discipline is important. No issue of leadership change. There is no discussion or anything on this. No one is in a hurry, 2028 is important for us,” Shivakumar told reporters here.
Responding to a question, he said, “I will issue a notice to Iqbal Hussain. I don’t want anyone to say that I will become the CM. Today or tomorrow, I will issue a notice to him. I also don’t want Balakrishna to speak in my favour…” Hussain has claimed that Shivakumar may get an opportunity to become CM in two to three months.
Asserting that no leader or MLA from the party should speak to the media on such matters, Shivakumar said, “..no one should go before the press. I’m saying it, no press. I’m saying it, whether it is Iqbal Hussain or B R Patil or Balakrishna or anyone else, there is no need.” “Siddaramaiah is the chief minister, strengthening his hands and the hands of the government is the only thing,” he added.
CM SAYS HE IS LUCKY
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said he was lucky and hence he holds the post.
Reacting to Aland Congress MLA B R Patil’s statement, Siddaramaiah told reporters, “Yes, I am lucky. That’s why I became the Chief Minister.” Patil, who is upset with the Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, said on Tuesday that Siddaramaiah is lucky.“I was among the eight MLAs who quit JD(S) and joined the Congress. A few are MLAs, and some others have become ministers. Lucky among us was Siddaramaiah as he became the Chief Minister,” Patil told reporters.
He also said that he had a 45-minute discussion with Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is in charge of the Karnataka state unit of the Congress party.Patil, a ruling Congress MLA, had recently alleged that there was corruption in the allotment of houses for the poor in his constituency, Aland.
Minister Khan rubbished the allegation and said the allotment is being done transparently.
Soon after Patil’s statement, two more Congress MLAs, Raju Kage and Belur Gopala Krishna, too, vented their anger against their own government.
To contain the dissent in the party, Surjewala is in Bengaluru and is speaking to the MLAs to understand the problems faced by them. (PTI)