The statement had added fresh sparks in the ever-present leadership tensions in the state’s Congress regime. “The polls will be held under the leadership of Siddaramaiah. In that election too, if we win the maximum number of seats, we will get moral support… By showing your support in the Lok Sabha polls, you should strengthen his hand,” the former MLA had said.
Refuting rumours of a rift, the deputy CM backed Yathindra, calling him a responsible leader, and claimed Yathindra’s words were about seeking strength and power from the people. “Our government will be strong for five years. Siddaramaiah is our Chief Minister now and I am the President of the State Congress, both of us will fight the upcoming elections together,” he said. The BJP, he added, should fix its own internal power struggles before fixating on other parties.
Rumours about the leadership tussle between the CM and his deputy have abounded ever since the Congress won the assembly polls in May last year. There were speculations that Siddaramaiah was not going to complete a full term in office and was going to cede his chair to Shivakumar after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. While the Congress party has not officially said so, the rumours have persisted well past the government’s half-year mark.
