Set to rest CM ‘change’ rumours

In the past few days, several statements have been made by politicians belonging to the ruling Congress party in Karnataka on a possible change of chief minister and a Cabinet reshuffle. The reason for such remarks is not difficult to fathom. Two and a half years ago when the Congress party swept to power in Karnataka winning 135 plus seats in the 224-member Assembly, there was a reported tussle for power between current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his  deputy, DK Shivakumar. There was then talk of an informal power sharing arrangement being finalised between the two leaders in the presence of the party top brass.

Soon Siddaramaiah became CM and Shivakumar his deputy and the Congress government has had a smooth sailing since then, earning the goodwill of the people at large with its focus on the five guarantee schemes. Neither the Opposition BJP nor the JD(S) have been able to make any dent in the Congress bastion which Karnataka has become, despite harping on every possible issue from minority appeasement to  the fund deficit for developmental activity.

Now that the two and a half year period is set to end in November, all sorts of claims are being made by those who claim to be supporters of the chief minister and the deputy CM on the ‘transfer of power’ and on nothing of that sort likely to happen with Siddaramaiah firmly in the saddle. There are leaders who claim that the opinion of legislators will finally decide who becomes CM while some others assert that the CM choice is best left to the Congress high command.

All this talk about a ‘power shift’ is happening despite Siddaramaiah’s repeated claims that he has no intention of giving up the post and will remain at the helm for the full five years. Shivakumar on his part, has time and again made it clear that nothing should be done to destabilise the Congress government in Karnataka, one of the few states in the country now ruled by the Grand Old Party. And yet rumours are rife about a change of guard in the state amid dinner meetings and conclaves of the kind.

Such confusion cannot be allowed to continue for too long for it will take a toll of the good governance which Karnataka has seen so far under the Congress government. The BJP is yet to recover from the disastrous blow of losing its only southern citadel and is waiting for an opportunity to find fault with the functioning of the state government. Leaders of the ruling party speaking in diverse voices will only serve to   cast a shadow on the otherwise flawless show of the government since 2023 when it came to power.

In fact one big shock was delivered by a veteran leader of the party, who even took potshots at the hugely popular guarantee schemes of the government when almost every Kannadiga has enjoyed its benefits. The line has to be drawn and the confusion has to be cleared once and for all by the party top brass so that ministers and legislators can get on with the task of providing succor to the people. This is all the more needed at a time when the state has been hit by massive rain-induced flooding in recent months. Political intrigue and gossip helps no one and least of all, the ruling party.