Siddaramaiah to stay CM? Big remark by Karnataka Congress leader amid power tussle

SEnior u.s. Congress leader and mysore MLC BK Hariprasad on tues dismissed venture o'er a possible change in leadership in Karnataka amid the ongoing meeting between the party leadership and state leaders in New Delhi, accusing the "BJP's troll army" of spreading misleading information.His remarks came as Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar met the Congress high command at the party headquarters, Indira Bhavan, in New Delhi, amid buzz of a power tussle.Siddaramaiah to stay CM? Big remark by Karnataka Congress MLAHariprasad backed Siddaramaiah and said he had been selected to serve a full five-year term and would continue leading the state. He added that a change in leadership would only be considered if there were serious allegations of "corruption or anything else" against the chief minister."When Siddaramaiah ji was chosen, he was chosen for five years. If there are serious allegations of corruption or anything else, then we'll have to think. There's no need to respond to the BJP's troll army," he told news agency ANI.He also accused the BJP's "troll factory" of spreading false narratives to “disturb things in Karnataka”. Rejecting the opposition BJP’s remarks on the state's politics, he asked them to focus on their own governance record and international issues.He said, "This is from the BJP's troll factory and lie factory. They are working 24 hours to disturb things in Karnataka. This is a statement from BJP people; no one from Congress has said this. BJP leaders are talking on media, WhatsApp, and social media.They are not looking at what's happening with themselves. Ask them to speak about what's in the Epstein files. Ask them to speak about what 'Surrender Modi' did with Trump. That should be discussed. Congress is strong in Karnataka. Siddaramaiah ji has been called to decide the strategy on how to defeat BJP again after two years."Meanwhile, Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed said the meeting with the party leadership had been organised to discuss several political matters, including Rajya Sabha elections and MLC elections, among other issues.Karnataka CM, deputy CM meet Congress high commandOn Tuesday, Siddaramaiah met Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala at Indira Bhavan before the meeting with the party leadership. Shivakumar also reached the party headquarters in New Delhi to attend the meeting.While the party has described the meeting as routine, people familiar with the matter told HT that the leadership is considering a "transfer of power" in Karnataka and is exploring possible options for Siddaramaiah.Since Congress returned to power in Karnataka with a strong mandate in 2023, reports of discussions around a possible leadership change have surfaced repeatedly. Several legislators have also reportedly backed Shivakumar for the chief minister's post.Recent speculation suggests Siddaramaiah could step aside, according to people familiar with the matter. Possible options being discussed for him include a Rajya Sabha seat or a Cabinet position for his son, Yathindra.However, even if Siddaramaiah agrees to move to the Rajya Sabha, it may not directly mean Shivakumar becoming his successor, the sources added.If that happens, Congress could consider Mallikarjun Kharge as a middle-ground choice for the chief minister's role, while also creating space for KC Venugopal to be pushed as the party's next chief.With inputs from Sunetra Choudhury and agencies