What option I have? says Shivakumar on Siddaramaiah’s 5 years as CM statement

With Siddaramaiah asserting that he will be the Chief Minister of Karnataka for a full five-year term, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said he has no objection and that he will standby and support the former. Indicating that he had no option, he said, he will fulfill the directions of the Congress high command. “What option I have? I have to stand by him, support him (Siddaramaiah). I don’t have any objection to it. Whatever the party high command tells and whatever it desires, it will be fulfilled,” Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question about the CM’s statement. Asked whether the party is not backing him and that his supporters are rooting for him to become CM, citing his sacrifice for the party, he said, “I don’t want to discuss anything. Lakhs of workers have supported this party. It is not only D K Shivakumar.” Speaking to reporters in Chikkaballapura, CM Siddaramaiah asserted that he will be in office for a full five-year term. There has been speculation within political circles, especially within the ruling Congress, for some time now about the Chief Minister change later this year, citing power-sharing agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister’s post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May 2023, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy CM. 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. @@@