“I am the chief minister of Karnataka. I am sitting here before you. There is no 50-50 formula. There is no vacancy for a chief minister in Karnataka. DK Shivakumar himself said there is no vacancy for the chief minister’s post,” Siddaramaiah told media persons in the national capital, where he and Shivakumar are camping for discussions. He added that he and his deputy would go by the decision of the high command.
The veteran leader also made it public that Rahul Gandhi was yet to find time to meet him. “I will meet Rahul Gandhi if granted an appointment,” he said. Till late evening, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were yet to meet Gandhi.
Many party functionaries felt Siddaramaiah’s comments were meant as a message both to the high command and his home constituency.
At the time of the government formation in 2023, it was made informally known that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar would share the CM’s post for two-and-a-half years each. But there is a feeling among some party functionaries that it may not be an easy task to make the deal hold. There are also organisational issues and coordination matters in the state Congress and government that await discussions and decisions in Delhi.
