'Mandate Not A Moment': Siddaramaiah Replies To Shivakumar's 'Word Power' Post Amid Escalating Tussle
Siddaramaiah asserted his intent to serve a full term, countering Shivakumar's implied claim to the CM post.
The ongoing leadership tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar escalated sharply on Thursday, after the two senior Congress leaders engaged in a pointed exchange on social media. The veiled war of words once again thrust the debate over rotational leadership back into the spotlight.
In response to Shivakumar’s cryptic post, “Word power is world power”, Siddaramaiah fired back with a strongly worded statement on X, asserting that a promise means little unless it improves people’s lives.
CM Pushes Back: 'Word Must Better The World'
“A Word is not power unless it betters the World for the people,” Siddaramaiah wrote, adding that the mandate given to Congress in Karnataka “is not a moment, but a responsibility that lasts five full years”.
“The Congress party, including me, is walking the talk for our people with compassion, consistency, and courage. Our Word to Karnataka is not a slogan, it means the World to us,” he said, a remark widely viewed as a direct reminder that he intends to serve his full term as chief minister.
Shivakumar had earlier posted: “The biggest force in the world was to keep one’s word,” which reignited internal speculation that he was referring to an alleged promise by the party high command to hand him the chief ministership halfway through the government’s tenure.
Karnataka Power Sharing
Talk of a power-sharing arrangement has lingered ever since the party’s sweeping victory in the 2023 Assembly elections. Though widely discussed among Congress ranks, Siddaramaiah has repeatedly denied the existence of any such deal, while top central leaders have avoided clarifying the matter.
Amid brewing tensions, supporters of the deputy chief minister have been increasingly vocal, both in Bengaluru and Delhi, pushing for him to be elevated to the top role.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has now stepped in, announcing that he will summon Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and other senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, to New Delhi for talks. The objective: put an end to what Kharge called the “confusion” surrounding the leadership issue.
“We will call them, discuss with them and settle the issue,” he assured, insisting that any decision would be made collectively after consultations.
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