No battle or skirmish: CM’s son amid leadership row

COngress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah on mon said that venture around the on-going leaders crisis was wrought by external narratives rather than internal disagreement, adding that the party’s high command has not issued any directives in this regard.“There is no battle or skirmish (in the state Congress unit). Since there is no confusion among us, I feel the media is into perception creation. The Congress high command has not given any directive about a change in leadership. If there is anything like that, then they will call and discuss it,” he said.Yathindra, who is chief minister Siddaramaiah’s son, acknowledged that some voices had argued that deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar should be elevated, but pointed out that “he has said that he will listen to the party high command.” He said Delhi had conveyed that it would invite both leaders if the issue required discussion, adding that “till then no confusion should prevail.”He also rejected claims that the party had agreed to a midterm transition in 2023. “No one knows whether any promise was made about leadership change after two and a half years. High command may or may not know about it. So, it is not proper to speculate about it,” he said.He added that questions about MLAs’ preferences should not be aired publicly: “Which MLA is in whose favour should not be discussed before the media. It belongs to the internal domain of the party, which should be left to us.”Responding to his son’s remarks, chief minister Siddaramaiah repeated his commitment to follow the party’s direction. “Will abide by whatever the high command decides,” he said.Earlier, Yathindra reiterated his view that the high command had not taken up the issue. “I have been saying this, which is not new. I feel that, as of now, there is nothing like leadership change. I hope that he (Siddaramaiah) will complete his five year term,” he said at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.Asked whether the chief minister had been called to Delhi in January, he replied that such meetings were routine: “The Congress high command calls the chief minister for various issues.” He said the chief minister would “talk about the prevailing situation in the state.”Yathindra acknowledged that uncertainty had grown because “the deputy chief minister was asked whether he wants to be the CM. There are aspirants in all the political parties. The high command has said that they will not decide it now.” He said the Congress Legislative Party chooses its leader for a defined period and added, “The Congress high command has made it clear that there is no leadership change as of now.”The debate over succession resurfaced after the government crossed the midpoint of its five year term on November 20, reviving talk of a 2023 “power sharing” understanding between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. In recent days, the two leaders have held breakfast meetings at each other’s homes on the instructions of the high command, a move seen within the party as an attempt to pause the internal contest and signal continuity ahead of the Belagavi legislature session.