Karnataka: Siddaramaiah will complete 5-year term as CM, Venugopal said nothing on power-sharing, says minister MB Patil 

In a remark that may create fissures in Karnataka Congress, state minister MB Patil on Monday said that Siddaramaiah will complete a five-year term as chief minister and there was no proposal for sharing of power. "Siddaramaiah will be the chief minister for five years. There is no proposal of power-sharing for 30 months," he said, countering multiple reports that suggested a power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar.
 
Patil said that there were no indications that DK Shivakumar would be the chief minister after the Lok Sabha elections. "AICC secretary Venugopal has not said anything about power-sharing during the press meet in Delhi. Hence, Siddaramaiah will continue and complete a five-year term," he said. Patil said the high command would have announced if there was a power-sharing formula between them.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were the top two contenders for the chief minister's post in Karnataka. Both leaders lobbied hard to get the top chair but Shivakumar relented after the high command reportedly proposed a power-sharing formula. According to reports, Siddaramaiah has been made chief minister for two years and then Shivakumar may take over for the rest of the term.

Multiple Congress sources told India Today that the CM's post will be shared by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for 30 months each, with the latter continuing as KPCC president till next year's Lok Sabha polls.

Hours after Congress declared Siddaramaiah as chief minister, India Today TV asked DK Shivakumar about the reported power-sharing formula. He, however, refused to divulge the details and said: "I don't want to disclose the confidential discussion we all had. At some point in time, the Congress president will reply to it."

But what MB Patil said on Monday was also stated by senior journalist and author Rasheed Kidwai last week. "Contrary to the claims in sections of the media, no power-sharing formula for rotational chief minister in Karnataka has been worked out," Kidwai wrote in a column published on May 18 in India Today.

Citing sources, the author said that aspirants, contenders, and party leaders had worked out unanimity that Karnataka Congress had to present a united face of the party for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He also said that the Congress had no history of the tradition of having intra-party rotational chief ministers.

DK Shivakumar, who pushed for the chief ministership, settled with the deputy chief minister and state party presidentship till the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, Congress MP and DK Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh said he was not fully happy with Shivakumar accepting the deputy CM post. "I am not fully happy but in the interest of Karnataka, we wanted to fulfill our commitment...that is why DK Shivakumar had to accept."

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